


Chained to You

by toobusy2write



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Glam Rock RPF, Tommy Ratliff (Musician)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alpha/Beta, Alternate Universe, Bloodplay, Dom/sub, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Touching, Power Dynamics, Power Play, Rough Sex, Torture, Vampires, Violence, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-26
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-10 02:40:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1153794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toobusy2write/pseuds/toobusy2write
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam and Tommy are sworn enemies by nature, but when a threat arises that endangers vampires and werewolves alike, they must unite to defeat a common enemy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First, a quick note about the **torture** tag: Most of the actual torture happens off-screen, but there is some that happens onscreen.
> 
> Second, this fic is not finished yet, although I'm in the home stretch. Soon after I signed up for the LBB, I got hit with one thing after another in RL, mainly having to do with health issues (both mine and my family's) and wasn't able to write for several months. Long story short, I almost pulled this fic, even though I'd been looking forward to writing for another LBB for a long time. In the end (with tons of behind the scenes support from friends) I decided to go ahead and get done what I could before my posting date. So, here it is. The current word count on this fic is 65k and rising. I'm hoping to have the rough draft finished soon and once that happens, I'll either post in chunks (10k or so at a time) or the rest all at once, depending on time allowances both on my end and on my betas ends.
> 
> Title taken from the song of the same name by Savage Garden. The song is included in the soundtrack for this fic, which you can find by following the link below to @qafmaniac's artwork post. 
> 
> This is set in the same 'verse and is technically the prequel to [**Waxing Gibbous**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/407711). I consider _Waxing Gibbous_ more of a timestamp for this fic, though, because I had this story outlined long before I wrote that. Either way, you don't need to read _Waxing Gibbous_ first to read this. It works perfectly fine as a one-shot sequel to this fic. Once I'm finished posting this fic, I'll link the two together and come up with a name for this verse.
> 
>  **Artist:** @qafmaniac  
>  **Betas:** @shinyredrain & @aislinntlc  
>  **Disclaimer:** Not mine, not for profit...just borrowing them to get the plot bunny that invaded my brain to shut up already.  
>  **Setting:** In this world, supernatural beings don't hide themselves and never have. 
> 
> **Special Thanks:** Many thanks to @shinyredrain for her cheerleading and just general awesomeness. And many thanks to @aislinntlc for agreeing to be a second set of eyes on this at the last minute (once I'd decided to post for sure). *squishes them both*
> 
>  **Artwork:** You can find @qafmaniac's amazing art and soundtrack for this fic at: [**LJ**](http://qafmaniac.livejournal.com/236430.html) / [**DW**](http://qafmaniac.dreamwidth.org/304928.html). The artwork is just GORGEOUS, as always, and the music she picked is BEYOND perfect for this fic. I flailed and flailed when she sent the soundtrack to me. *squishes her to death*
> 
>  **A/N:** Since I didn't see an option for posting a prologue by itself on a chapter story, I put it in with the first chapter.

    
_"I feel the magic all around you,_  
 _It's bringing me to my knees_  
 _Like I wanna be…"_  


### Prologue

The doors to the conference room burst open and Neil strode in, expression grim.

Putting his conversation with Sutan—his high advisor and old friend—on hold, Adam braced himself for bad news. "What is it?"

Neil stopped near the polished granite conference table where Adam and Sutan were sitting. "There's been another killing."

Neil was Adam's brother both in human terms and through Simon, the vampire who had sired them both. More importantly at that moment in time, Neil was the commander in chief of the council's legion.

Anger sliced through Adam, swift and sharp. "Where?"

"The outskirts of Dallas," Neil replied. "Brad called me when he couldn't reach you."

Adam cursed. He'd turned off his ringer so that he and Sutan wouldn't be interrupted while they discussed a course of action concerning the delegates from the Las Vegas clan and the New York City clan, both of whom had flown in to meet with him. The two clans were each trying to convince Adam that their city was best prepared to provide accommodations and security for the council meeting that was taking place in two months' time.

"Same as the others?" Sutan asked.

Neil nodded. "Ripped to pieces, drained, and heart nowhere to be found."

Adam's hands clenched into fists on top of the table. "Who?"

"Nick," Neil supplied. Nick was a childe of Brian's. He'd been turned almost a century earlier. "Needless to say, Brian's taking it hard," Neil added.

"Does Brad need help while Brian's in mourning?" Adam asked.

Brad was the master of Houston. The entire city—vampires and humans alike—counted on Brad for their protection. Brian was Brad's right-hand man. If he was out of commission, too much would fall on Brad's shoulders, especially now when it appeared an all out war between vampires and werewolves was looming on the horizon for the first time in two hundred fifty years.

Neil shook his head. "Brad says he's fine for now and will let you know if that changes."

Adam nodded. "Alright. Send Josh and Luke to handle the investigation." Josh and Luke were the council's top investigators.

Neil nodded and turned to leave.

Once they were alone again, Sutan looked over at Adam. "That's the fourth one in as many months. And again during a full moon."

"It has to be werewolves," Adam said. "I just can't imagine what they're thinking. We've had relative peace for a quarter of a millennium. If we go to war now, after giving humans the kind of freedom that we have, it'll turn into even more of a clusterfuck than the last time."

Sutan shook his head. "I'm still not convinced. They don't drink blood."

Adam shifted in his chair. He didn't want to believe it either. He'd lost too many friends and fellow clan members during the last war. Not to mention his sire.

"What else could it be?" Adam asked, frustrated. "There aren't any other beings within a thousand miles of any of the attacks who are sophisticated enough to lure a master vampire away from the safety of the city and their clan."

"True, but there's no evidence of pack activity. Everything points to a lone killer and most werewolves aren't strong enough to take us on one-on-one," Sutan reasoned, playing devil's advocate. It was one of the many reasons Adam counted on him for advice. Sutan was gifted with the ability to take a step back and see all sides of an issue. "And unless they've suddenly developed an ability to mask their scent," Sutan continued, "there's no mistaking the smell of one for anything other than what it is. Our enemy."

Adam got up from his chair and walked over to the window, staring out at the night sky and wishing the city lights didn't obliterate the stars. "I don't know what to think, Sutan. The clans are getting impatient. If I don't make a decisive move soon, someone will take it as a sign that I need to be removed from the throne, and then I'll be fending off assassination attempts on top of all this."

Kaya—the Los Angeles' clan's witch in residence—knocked briefly and walked in. "I heard about the latest attack and I know what you're thinking of doing. It would be a mistake."

Adam turned away from the windows to shoot her a hard look. "It would be a mistake to take out those miserable mutts once and for all? Why?"

Kaya shook her head and stepped further into the room. "It's not them. There's another threat. Something none of us have faced before. The coven has called an emergency meeting tomorrow night and is requesting your presence to discuss it."

Adam's jaw clenched briefly. He knew the witches meant well and were only trying to keep the peace, but sometimes he resented their assumption that he should jump whenever they called.

"I can't go running off to London right now," he said irritably. "Not when things are so volatile here, and especially if what you're saying is true."

Kaya took another step closer, and something in her expression gave Adam pause. She looked worried. More than worried. She looked scared.

"I strongly urge you to go, Adam. This new threat could destroy all of us. Vampires, werewolves and humans alike."

Adam stared hard at her for a long moment. "Will the wolves be there?"

Kaya hesitated before nodding.

"Then forget it," Adam bit out.

The last time he'd willingly met with werewolves had been to negotiate the treaty that had brought an uneasy end to sixty years of death and destruction. It had essentially consisted of the agreement that vampires and werewolves could only coexist if they stayed the hell away from each other.

To that end, the witches had suggested a compromise. Vampires would keep to the cities and werewolves would stay out of them. If either strayed into the other's territory, they were fair game to be hunted down and disposed of. Humans and witches were under both their protection and therefore considered neutral and able to live and travel wherever they pleased.

That had been two hundred and fifty years ago. Since then, the only mutts he'd had contact with had been rogue ones that had broken the treaty and entered his city. Adam had enjoyed ripping every single one of them to pieces with his bare hands.

Kaya closed the distance between them and reached out, stopping Adam from turning away with a hand to his arm. "I know how you feel and why—"

"You may _think_ you know, but you weren't there," Adam interrupted, voice sharp. "You weren't even alive yet."

Kaya held Adam's stare, not backing down an inch. "I swear to you, I wouldn't ask this if I didn't think it was a matter of our very survival."

Sutan spoke up in the silence that followed. "As much as I loathe the idea, maybe we should consider going."

Adam broke eye contact with Kaya to look at Sutan. His reluctance was obvious, but he looked concerned, too. It was enough to break through the instinctive hate Adam felt at the mention of werewolves and consider the idea.

Finally, Adam said, "We'll be there, but I'm bringing Neil, Sutan and a contingent from the LA clan."

Kaya nodded. "Thank you. I'll let the coven know." She closed the door behind her as she left.

"You're making the right decision," Sutan said in the ensuing silence.

Adam sighed. "Let's hope so." Rubbing a hand across his forehead, his thoughts shifted to what had happened in Dallas.

As if reading his mind, Sutan said, "I'll go so you can call Brad before your brain explodes."

Adam looked over at Sutan and quirked an eyebrow. "That obvious, huh?"

Sutan nodded, a small smile curving his lips. "To me, yes. I know you better than most, though."

After the doors shut behind Sutan, Adam reached into the front pocket of his leather pants and pulled out his phone, hitting speed dial.

Brad picked up on the second ring, not even bothering with a hello. "I told your brother I was fine."

"I needed to hear for myself, "Adam said, stomach unknotting at the sound of Brad's voice.

Brad chuckled. "Are you the king or my keeper?"

Adam grinned. "Can't I be both?"

"No, you can't," Brad said matter-of-factly. "So stop worrying about my pretty little ass and get yours in gear. Something has to be done about these killings. I don't even understand how whoever did this got Nick to follow them out to the edge of the city like that. He wasn't stupid."

Adam rubbed a hand over his forehead. "Kaya says it isn't mutts. It's something new we haven't faced before. I'm flying out to London once the arrangements are made. There's a meeting tomorrow night to discuss it."

Brad was silent for a moment. "Will the wolves be there, too?"

Adam tipped his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "Yes."

Brad whistled low. "Are you going to be able to handle that?"

"I don't have a choice, do I? Not if this new threat Kaya's worried about is half as bad as she warned it is," Adam said.

Looking out at the lights of the city, Adam felt the weight of the entire city's safety—hell, the entire vampire species' safety—resting squarely on whatever decision he made in London.

 

Holding a tray of raw steaks for the grill in one hand and a couple of cold beers in the other, Tommy stepped through the back door of his pack's main cabin and headed for Monte. Monte was the pack alpha as well as chief alpha of the coalition.

"You'd better not fuck these up," Tommy warned. "I had to fend off three cubs and a zeta to get these out of the house. They wanted to eat them raw."

The pack was always ravenous the morning after a full moon. Ravenous and impatient to eat.

Monte, who was manning the grill, laughed as he pushed the white, glowing coals into place. "I'll try my best."

Tommy snorted, shaking his head in amusement as he set the tray of steaks down and handed Monte one of the beers. Monte was a fucking master with the grill. There was no chance that the steaks would turn out anything but perfectly rare and bloody, yet charred beautifully on the outside.

Tommy started to say something else, but the scent of fresh werewolf blood caught both his and Monte's attention and they tensed, scanning the tree line for movement.

Less than a minute later, Todd, Jeremy and Paul strode into the clearing. Jeremy—in human form and naked—was holding what looked like a mangled hunk of meat in his arms. Todd and Paul flanked either side of him in wolf form.

When they were still several yards away, Jeremy shifted the load in his arms and a bloody, barely recognizable head came into view. Devon.

Tommy snarled in reaction and the three pack members heading for them visibly hesitated. Monte reached out and touched a hand to Tommy's arm. Tommy blinked and did his best to shake off his wolf's instinct to hunt down Devon's attacker and rend the fucker limb from limb.

Glancing at Monte, Tommy shot him a grateful look. He didn't know how Monte managed to stay calm sometimes. Tommy had a lot of control over his wolf—one of the reasons he was second in command to Monte—but Monte's control and patience were legendary. No one could compete with him on that front.

Once Tommy quieted down, Jeremy, Todd and Paul started forward again. They stopped in front of Monte and set Devon's mutilated body on the ground at his feet.

"The leeches attacked again," Jeremy said, voice shaking with rage and anguish. Devon had been Jeremy's best friend.

Monte frowned down at the body, clearly upset, but also clearly examining Devon's mangled form. "I'm still not convinced this is the work of vampires."

Jeremy growled. "What more do you need? He was drained of his blood, just like the others. You know they consider us a delicacy."

It was true, they did. Apparently, something about the near immortal quality of werewolf blood made them taste amazing.

Monte's eyes bled to gold and he bared his teeth at Jeremy, letting a hint of his canines drop in warning at Jeremy's growls.

Immediately Jeremy clamped his mouth shut and dropped his eyes in deference. "Sorry. I'm just angry and frustrated."

Monte nodded. "We all are." Looking down at the body for a long time, he said solemnly, "Get him wrapped and ready. We'll need to do the ceremony before nightfall so that we don't have to fend off scavengers tonight."

After Jeremy walked off with Devon's body, Paul and Todd following him while still in wolf form, Tommy turned to Monte, rage boiling just under the surface. He itched to change, to run and find the nearest clan and crush them.

"We have to do something. This can't continue."

"What would you have me do?" Monte asked, eyes flashing with anger. "Start a war?"

Knowing he was dangerously close to challenging Monte's authority, Tommy forced himself to calm down. When he had his emotions more under control, Tommy asked, "Haven't they already done that?"

Monte shook his head. "I'm still not convinced it's leeches."

Taking a deep breath, Tommy ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want to think so, either. I was so young the last time we had an all out war with them, but I remember…" He trailed off, throat clogging around the last words as his mind shied away from the memories.

"I know," Monte said, voice filled with understanding.

Circe, the pack's witch in residence, walked out of the cabin, interrupting them. She looked scared.

"What is it?" Tommy asked.

"The coven has called an emergency meeting in London. You're both needed there to meet with the vampires."

"Forget it," Monte growled.

"I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't life and death," Circe rushed to say. "You are on the verge of war with the vampires, but you're both being played. There's a new threat. Someone neither of you are aware of, and they want you both out of the way. You need to hear the coven out on this. Please."

Tommy studied Circe for a moment, reading the fear in her eyes. Looking over at Monte, he said haltingly, "You did say you had your doubts it's them. Maybe we should consider it. Find out for sure."

Monte studied Tommy for a long moment, then turned to Circe. "We'll be there, but we're bringing backup."

Circe nodded and hugged them both in turn. "You're making the right decision."

Monte met Tommy's gaze over her shoulder. "I hope so."

After Circe went back into the house, Tommy stared at the spot where Paul, Jeremy and Todd had emerged from the woods. A chill rushed up his spine. He didn't hold much stock in things he couldn't see or touch, but Monte had long since insisted he had a sixth sense.

Whether it was a sixth sense or just a gift for observation, it had never failed him. This time…. This time it was telling him that something big was coming. Something that was going to change all their lives on a fundamental level.

Tommy hoped that this one time, he was wrong.

 

### Chapter 1

 

Adam braced himself as he walked into the clearing on the edge of town that the London coven had chosen for the summit. London was home base for the witches and therefore it and the surrounding area were considered neutral ground for vampires and werewolves; something that had been decided upon during the treaty negotiations. Even though he'd prepared himself, Adam was hit with the almost irresistible urge to fly across the clearing and drain every single one of the mutts gathered there the minute he saw them.

"Steady," Sutan said next to Adam's ear, and even though Sutan didn't sound all that steady himself, it served to calm Adam enough to get control over the worst of his violent urges.

"One word," Neil said under his breath, taking his place on Adam's other side. "One word from you and our lieutenants will take them apart."

Adam scanned the clearing, noting that there was a ring of witches surrounding them, arms raised as they swayed and chanted.

Shaking his head, Adam said to Neil, "It wouldn't matter. They're already putting the spell in place."

The spell they were casting was an anti-violence spell. While within the circle the witches were creating, no being would be able to use force against another being. The witches had realized early on that it was the only way to have vampires and werewolves in the same place at the same time without bloodshed, no matter what promises each side made going in.

Adam's gaze settled on Kaya, who was talking to the coven's high priestess, Aleena, and her wife, Caylan. In spite of them being only a few yards away, Adam couldn't make out what they were saying. He quickly realized that they must have also cast a sound-dampening spell on the clearing so that conversations would remain private.

Aleena turned green eyes on Adam and walked over, smiling warmly, her dark brown hair flowing around her shoulders. She looked to be in her late twenties, but she had been in charge of the coven for going on fifty years. While witches weren't immortal, they drew their power from and replenished themselves through the elements, therefore causing them to age at a much slower rate than other humans.

"I’m glad you came, despite your misgivings," Aleena said.

Adam nodded. "I just hope I won't regret it."

Aleena's smile turned rueful. "You will, but not for the reasons you expect, and hopefully not for long. Promise me you'll hear us out before you make any decisions."

Apprehension crawled up Adam's spine, but she'd proven time and again over the years that she was trustworthy and truly impartial, so he was inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. "I will."

"Good," Aleena said, pleased. "Excuse me. I need to go extract the same promise from Monte."

Adam watched Aleena walk off and had to fight a sudden urge to turn and walk away from whatever they were about to tell him. And then his gaze caught on the mutts Aleena stopped in front of, specifically the short one with dyed pink hair. He had an asymmetrical hairstyle that was shaved on one side and long enough to hang in his eyes on the other. He also had a multitude of piercings in his ears and one arm was covered in tattoos, the other arm not far behind. He had on tight black jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt, but in spite of all that, what caught Adam's attention most was his face. He had almost flawless skin, wide brown eyes and full lips that just begged to be kissed….

Adam nearly recoiled in horror. What the fuck? Never in a millennium would he even consider kissing one of _them_. Adam turned away, determined to put the pink mutt out of his mind. He couldn't be anyone important anyway, so it shouldn't be hard. The boy was so small and thin, he had to be the runt of the litter. He was probably just along to fetch things for the alpha.

Still, there was something about his eyes. Something familiar Adam couldn't quite place, which didn't make sense considering vampires had perfect recall. Before he could put any more effort into figuring it out, though, Sutan distracted him with a question.

 

Feeling eyes on him as he, Monte and Isaac talked to Aleena, Tommy turned in time to see a vampire across the clearing turn away. He was tall with black hair that stood on end in the front and was shot through with silver streaks on top. He had on black leather pants, a black silk shirt, and a long black leather coat over the top of all of it, even though it was a warm night.

No body heat, Tommy reminded himself, then frowned, wondering what the point of a coat was, then, since it couldn't actually keep him _warm_. Hot on the heels of that, Tommy scowled, wondering what the fuck he was doing thinking about a leech's comfort level at all. Like he gave a shit. The fucker could turn to ice for all he cared. Actually, scratch that. He'd enjoy that. That was caring, right?

Tommy frowned as he continued to study the vampire. There was something familiar about him, although Tommy couldn't figure out what. Shaking off the thought, Tommy turned away, forcing himself to focus on what Aleena was telling them.

"—everyone's present so if you would take your places, I'll call this meeting to order and explain why I asked you all here."

"The sooner the better," Monte muttered.

Tommy could feel tension and suppressed violence radiating off Monte and knew he had the same tension radiating off him. The last time he'd been in the presence of a leech for any reason other than to run a stray one down in their territory and rip it to shreds, had been back when he was barely more than a cub, just before the treaty negotiations.

Tommy shook off the memories of being trapped and scared and sure he was about to die. He wasn't a cub anymore. He was a fully-grown wolf. Strong. One of the strongest because of that night. He could do this.

Everyone took their seats at the large, round stone table in the middle of the clearing. Six vampires sat opposite Tommy, Monte and the four additional werewolves they'd been allowed to bring. Six witches were also present, divided in half and sitting across from each other, effectively separating the werewolves from the vampires so they wouldn't have to sit side by side. Circe was among them, and of course Aleena, along with several others Tommy didn't recognize.

Once everyone was settled, Aleena said, "Thank you all for coming. I know this is unorthodox and you both had your reservations."

Mumbled agreements sounded around the table and Tommy found himself glancing at the leeches, the one from before in particular, only to find him staring back, crystal blue eyes unreadable in the torchlight illuminating the clearing.

Suddenly memories slammed through Tommy and he knew where he'd seen the vampire before. He'd looked different then—red hair instead of black and freckles everywhere—but the eyes… Tommy would never forget those eyes.

Before he could stop it, Tommy's wolf surged up within him and he partially shifted, canines bared as he growled. He jumped to his feet, claws digging into the stone table, gaze locked with narrowed blue eyes. The vampire rose too, looking ready to attack. Tommy hoped he would.

"Tommy," Isaac said, voice urgent. "What are you doing?"

Tommy didn't bother to answer, too focused on the enemy, waiting for him to make the slightest move and give Tommy an excuse to dive over the table at him.

A sudden hand at the back of his neck, squeezing firmly, brought Tommy's head around. He found himself staring into Monte's face, Monte's eyes flashing with warning.

"Settle yourself. Now," Monte growled.

Tommy snarled and Monte's grip tightened, the threat clear. Using every bit of self-control he possessed, Tommy reined himself in and shifted back to fully human form. Monte continued to stare him down until Tommy finally dropped his gaze in deference.

Turning to Aleena, Monte said, "Give me a moment with my beta."

"Of course," she said.

Monte walked Tommy away from the group, not letting go of his neck until they were a safe distance away and out of earshot due to the dampening spell Aleena had put on the clearing.

"What the hell was that?" Monte asked.

Tommy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, barely holding back his wolf as memories bombarded him. "The blue-eyed vampire in the middle. He was _there_ that night, Monte. He came looking for the fucker who killed my family. He called him sire."

"Shit," Monte said, glancing over at the table before looking at Tommy again. "Can you do this? If you can't, tell me now. Isaac can act as your stand-in and you can go back to the hotel."

Tommy clenched his jaw and his fists, fighting for control of his wolf. After a moment, he felt himself calm, felt the wolf pull back, and opened his eyes.

Holding Monte's gaze, Tommy said, "I can do this. I've got it under control now."

Monte stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "Alright, but if you start to lose it again, get up and walk away. That's an order."

"Understood," Tommy said, grateful Monte was giving him a second chance.

Together, they walked back over to the table. Before he sat down, Tommy turned to Aleena. "Sorry for the disruption. It won't happen again."

Aleena's smile was understanding. "No apologies necessary."

Tommy returned the smile gratefully and sat down, carefully avoiding looking at the vampire across from him, even though he could feel his gaze boring into him.

Next to Tommy, Monte asked, "Why did you call us here?"

"First, let's get introductions out of the way." Aleena nodded to each person as she introduced them. "You all know Caylan, Lila and Star. Circe," Aleena said to the vampires, "lives with the Texas pack. And Kaya," Aleena said to the werewolves, indicating a pretty Asian woman, "lives with the Los Angeles clan."

Next she introduced Monte as chief alpha of the werewolf coalition, Tommy as beta general, Isaac as delta captain, and the rest by rank to the vampires.

"And this," Aleena said, indicating the vampire Tommy remembered from the night his parents had been killed, "Is King Adam Lambert; his brother and commander of the vampire legion, Neil; his high advisor, Sutan; and three legion lieutenants, Jon, Jesse and Ben."

Of fucking course, Tommy thought to himself. It figured that the vampire he wanted to rip apart most would turn out to be their goddamn king. _Fuck_.

All of them except for Tommy made grudging attempts at greeting each other, and then Aleena cleared her throat. "Let's just put our cards on the table. There have been murders. On both sides."

That surprised Tommy. He hadn't heard of any leeches being killed.

"Both sides? What are you talking about?" Adam asked, voicing Tommy's thoughts and making his claws itch to come back out.

Aleena nodded. "Just what I said. You've both had bodies turn up drained, ripped apart and missing their hearts."

Tommy looked at Monte, alarmed. If that was true, then it really wasn't the vampires.

"So," Monte said, looking over at Aleena. "What does this mean? Circe mentioned a new threat."

"Yes," Aleena confirmed. "There is a new threat. You could maybe even call them a new species. That's still being debated, though."

For a long moment, everyone sat in stunned silence.

Finally Tommy spoke up. "How's that possible?"

Aleena glanced at Caylan, then shook her head at the group. "We're still working on that. We do know it came about because an aswang and a wendigo mated, but we haven't been able to figure out why or how that happened. It shouldn't be any more possible than it is for a vampire and a werewolf to mate, but it happened anyway. That's not the worst part, though. The mated pair have evolved somehow and are taking humans that wouldn't be missed from the fringes of society and turning them the way an aswang does."

"They're making an army," Adam said matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Aleena said. "They're strong and extremely fast like wendigos, they're able to shapeshift like aswangs, they have the blood and flesh lust of both their species, but where wendigos are out of control with their hunger and therefore their own worst enemy, these things have the temperament and patience of aswangs. And they're able to mask their scents like aswangs. The only weakness we've been able to find is that they burn like acid's been thrown on them if you pour salt on them, and they can only shift out of human form at night, meaning they're more vulnerable during the day. At any rate, they've become advanced enough to be sending soldiers into the field to test out their ability to blend and kill the enemy. The enemy being both of you."

"The murders," Monte said. "So basically we're both up against some new super species that can kill us without breaking a sweat."

Aleena pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Not exactly. I think the only reason both sides have been so easily killed is because you were taken by surprise. You were expecting each other, or at the very least, a species you know, not something completely different. And obviously they have the ability to mask themselves, so they probably seemed human to their victims and therefore relatively harmless one-on-one."

"So now that we know, we should be able to take them out," Neil said.

"The soldiers, yes," Caylan said, speaking for the first time. "The original mated pair, not so much."

"Why not?" Monte asked.

"The soldiers were made much like vampires are," Aleena said. "They were given some of their sire's blood to mingle with their own, which in turn diluted their strength. The original mated pair are full-blooded, though. Their bond with each other somehow created this new species. They're the first two of their kind and therefore much stronger than any one of you."

Tommy let loose a string of curses under his breath.

"Do you know what their end goal is?" Adam asked.

"They're trying to goad you both into a war with each other to weaken your numbers. Then they plan on coming in and destroying what is left of both sides so they can enslave the human race again."

"That's … really specific. How do you know all this?" Monte asked.

"The growing power imbalance their existence creates is causing the elements to fall out of balance. That tipped us off that something was wrong and we discovered the source soon after. We didn't want to come to either of you until we had more facts, though, so we sent glamoured witches in undercover and gathered as much information as we safely could. And now we're giving it to you."

"How we can defeat them?" Tommy asked.

Aleena pressed her lips together and looked over at Caylan. Caylan reached over and laced their fingers together, giving Aleena a reassuring look. Tommy, however, was not reassured. Whatever it was that had Aleena that nervous to tell them had to be bad.

"That's the tricky part," Aleena said finally. "None of you are strong enough. I'm not even sure any of you are strong enough as a group. It would be a huge risk and if you fail, you might very well ruin any chance you had."

"Okay, so you're saying taking them on directly is out. What else is there?" Adam asked.

Aleena cleared her throat and shifted in her chair. "A vampire and a werewolf need to … mate. With each other."

Monte stood and growled. Adam did the same, his eyes flashing silver, and then everyone was on their feet.

Neil and Tommy said at the same time, "Not a fucking chance in hell."

In an instant Aleena transformed from the nervous brunette of a minute ago into a formidable opponent anyone would think twice about going up against. Her eyes and hair bled to black as she shot up out of her chair and ordered in a booming voice, "Sit down. All of you. This instant."

One by one, each of them sat. Aleena was the high priestess for a reason. She was a power to be reckoned with, and even though she was slow to anger, she _could_ be angered. And whoever angered her usually regretted it.

Once everyone was seated again and silent, Aleena took a deep breath. The black in her hair and eyes drained away, leaving her a green-eyed brunette once again. Sitting, she said calmly. "Now. Both of you promised me you would hear me out before jumping to decisions. I expect you to honor that." She looked at each of them in turn, waiting for a nod before moving on to the next.

After everyone had agreed once again, she continued, "Alright. So. We didn't come to this conclusion lightly. We consulted prophecies and other texts and listened to the elements. We even read the stars. Everything we came across points to the same thing. Fight fire with fire, meaning fight this seemingly impossible mating bond with another seemingly impossible one."

Aleena fell silent, giving them time to absorb all that.

Adam was the first to speak up. "But you said it yourself. It's impossible. We've all heard the stories. Some tried a long time ago, before the wars. Every single time the bond backfired and they died. Why would it be any different this time?"

"That's a fair question," Caylan said. "We believe this is different because the planets are aligned in a way that they never have been before in recorded history."

Tommy snorted. "So, we're supposed to believe that the planets getting a bug up their ass to do something different for a change affects whether or not we die if our two species mate? Really?"

Aleena smiled at Tommy. She knew his viewpoints on things beyond the physical. "If you can't believe in that, at least believe in us. Me. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

Tommy leaned back against his chair, contemplating that. Finally he admitted grudgingly, "Never."

"Then if you don't trust the mystical, at least trust in me? I wouldn't suggest something I wasn't sure was going to work."

Eventually Tommy nodded and Aleena turned back to the group. "Now. We also believe that there is only one chance, one pair that this will work with. Everything we've turned up points to that."

"Who?" Neil asked.

Caylan shook her head. "We don't know."

"How do we figure out who they are, then?" Sutan asked.

Aleena glanced at Caylan, then looked back at Sutan. "There's a spell. It will point the way. We believe the two are present. The prophecy indicated they would be among those gathered here."

Monte frowned. "Three on my side are already mated."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Aleena said as she stood and signaled to two witches standing by with flasks in their hands. "I doubt it will be anyone who is already mated. That would get … messy."

The two witches stepped forward and set down the flasks on the stone table. A third brought forward a bowl. Aleena took a deep breath and started pouring ingredients into the bowl while chanting over it. Once she was done, she lifted her hands to either side and tipped her head back, her hair and eyes going white as she chanted louder and louder, until lightning cracked through the otherwise clear night sky. Suddenly, twin points of light rose from the bowl, swirling and flitting this way and that, stopping in front of several werewolves and vampires before suddenly shooting up into the sky and doing a sort of dance with each other. Aleena called to Freyja to guide the way. Lightning cut across the sky again and instantly the points of light dropped in a freefall.

Tommy watched, eyes getting wider and wider as one of the lights came toward him. It didn't stop until it was hovering right above him. He swallowed hard, hoping against hope it wasn't about to do what he suspected it was about to do. Instead of landing on his head like he'd expected, though, it darted down and around, circling him once, twice, three times before zipping toward his right hand. White-hot pain seared his palm and Tommy yelped, giving his hand a quick shake.

"What the _fuck_?" Tommy shouted at Aleena, the smell of his burnt flesh filling the air around them.

Aleena silenced him with a finger to her lips and Tommy followed her gaze to find the other light hovering over Adam's head. As if it had been waiting for Tommy to pay attention, it darted down and swirled around Adam before zipping toward his left palm.

Adam growled and cursed, shaking his own hand out an instant later, the smell of more burnt flesh filling the air.

The lights both blinked out of existence then, leaving everyone standing around the table in stunned silence for the second time that night.

Eventually Aleena said, "Tommy, may I see your hand, please?"

Afraid of what he'd find, Tommy stretched out his fist and turned it palm up. Slowly he uncurled his fingers and stared, slack-jawed at the infinity symbol that was etched into his hand.

"Adam, please?" Aleena said.

Adam did the same and Tommy stared at the matching mark. He was suddenly sure that if they pressed their palms together, the signs would line up perfectly.

Slowly, Tommy lifted his eyes to Adam's and found him staring back, dumbfounded. Tommy was sure his expression looked the same. He definitely felt the same way.

"I believe the two of you are the ones the prophecies were indicating."

Tommy shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not…" He trailed off and swallowed. "I can't have sex with _him_."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "I'm not exactly into fucking mutts, either. I guess we both have to make a sacrifice here."

Next to Tommy, Monte growled, letting his canines drop. "We aren't mutts, _leech_."

Adam bared his fangs and hissed at Monte.

"Adam! Monte! Enough!" Aleena said firmly. "Try to remember there's an anti-violence spell in place, please? Posturing isn't going to get us anywhere."

For a long moment, Monte and Adam continued to face off, until finally, Tommy shook off his shock and looked away from Adam, toward Aleena. "Forget it. I won't do it. I won't mate with him, or any other vampire. I don't give a fuck what the prophecies say."

With that, he turned and walked away, ignoring Monte's command to come back. Fuck him, and fuck them too. Forget the fact that he was straight. That wasn't even close to the biggest reason he wouldn't even consider it. He'd die before he'd tie himself to any vampire, but especially one connected to his family's deaths.


	2. Chapter 2

"The nerve of that mutt," Adam growled, pacing the length of the outer room of his hotel suite. "If anyone should be offended by the suggestion of a mating bond it should be _me_. We're the superior race. They're fucking glorified dogs."

"And yet, they've held their own with us each and every time we've gone to war," Neil said dryly, rolling his eyes.

Adam turned on Neil and hissed. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Neil quirked an eyebrow. "The side where we all survive and aren't annihilated by some new breed of badass. You?"

Adam glared at him for another moment before flopping down on a nearby chair. "Fuck you."

Sutan snorted. "That's mature. If our people could see their king now."

"Fuck you too," Adam said, no real heat behind the words. He knew Sutan was just trying to lighten the mood.

"No," Sutan threw back, sounding entirely too amused. "Fuck that pretty little pink twink so we can do the annihilating."

Adam sighed. "It's not up to me. He's the one refusing to even consider it."

"What's that all about, anyway?" Neil asked. "When he saw you at that table, he just about came unhinged."

Adam shrugged. "I just assumed it was hatred for all vampires."

Neil shook his head. "I don't think so. He looked at me and a couple of the others before his gaze landed on you. It was something about you specifically that set him off."

Adam frowned. "There was something familiar about him. His eyes. I couldn't place it and I still can't."

"Vampires have perfect recall and you couldn't place him?" Sutan asked.

Adam nodded. "As weird as it sounds, no I can't."

"Maybe the two of you need to have a talk," Sutan said, "One-on-one."

"I doubt he'd agree to it."

"Have Aleena ask him," Neil suggested. "He seems to trust her. Maybe she can convince him. She could put up wards like in the clearing, preventing any violence so that the two of you could hash out whatever's between you, besides the obvious."

Adam walked over to the window and stared out of it. "That's assuming I'm willing to mate with him. With a _werewolf_ of all things."

"What's the alternative?" Neil asked, his logical nature annoying as ever. "The end of life as we know it?"

Adam snorted, turning away from the window to say sarcastically, "Well, when you put it that way…" Trailing off, he looked over at Sutan and said more seriously, "Call Aleena and set it up."

After Tommy left the clearing, he pulled off his clothes and shifted into wolf form, taking off through the woods. He didn't stop running for hours, not until he'd exhausted himself. Only then did he circle back around and shift back, gathering up his clothes. He headed in the direction of the cars, hoping Monte hadn't been too pissed with him to leave him one. Tommy didn't feel like walking miles back to town.

Thankfully, there was a car there, keys in the ignition. Tommy climbed in and read the note Monte had left for him on the dash.

 _Get back to the hotel. NOW_.

Fuck. He was in for it.

Reluctantly he headed for the hotel and parked. Climbing out, he walked into the building and took the elevator to their floor. As he started down the hall, he briefly considered going straight to his own room, but knew in spite of not spelling it out that Monte expected Tommy to come see him right away.

Bracing himself, Tommy knocked on Monte's door and waited. Almost immediately, Monte opened the door and stared him down. When Tommy dropped his eyes, Monte stepped aside and ushered him in. The instant the door closed, Tommy found himself yanked around and slammed face first against the door, a growl of displeasure in his ear.

Already feeling bad for ignoring Monte's order in the clearing, especially in front of vampires, Tommy instantly tilted his head to the side, baring his neck, showing his remorse. He winced as Monte's sharp canines clamped down on his throat, breaking skin. He forced himself to go limp, showing his submission fully.

Satisfied, Monte pulled back and released him. Tommy straightened and took a moment to gather himself before turning to face his alpha and offer a verbal apology.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be. You defied a direct order. _In front of the enemy_. You made me look weak."

Tommy's face heated and he dropped his eyes on the floor. "I’m really sorry. Tell me how to make it up to you."

"You mean that?" Monte asked, voice still hard.

Tommy tensed and looked up, meeting Monte's gaze. Slowly he shook his head. "Anything but that. Please, Monte."

Monte stared hard at him for a long moment before backing off with a sigh. Looking suddenly weary, he said, "I know what I'm asking. I wish it could be some other way. Someone else. But the light chose you. You're the only one who can save us."

Tommy turned away and ran a hand through his hair, feeling trapped and lost and scared and so fucking angry all at once. In spite of wearing himself out in the woods, he felt himself start to shift again.

Monte was there in an instant, taking Tommy's face in his hands and staring him straight in the eye. "Control yourself."

Tommy growled as he wrestled for control before finally gaining it and shifting back with a deep breath. "Sorry."

Monte shook his head, releasing Tommy. "Don't be. I can only imagine what you're going through. If I was in your position, I'm not sure I would've even come back here tonight. I might've kept running."

Tommy hesitated, then admitted, "I thought about it."

Monte met his gaze. "But you didn't."

Tommy shook his head. "I couldn't. Not after everything you've done for me. And not when the coalition's future is at stake."

Monte studied him for a long moment. "So you'll agree to it?"

Tommy swallowed hard and said barely above a whisper, "I don't know if I can, Monte. I see him and I flash back on that night. How the fuck am I supposed to mate with him? And I'm assuming it wouldn't be a one-time thing, either, something to just get through. From what I know of mating bonds—werewolf ones anyway—we'd have to keep fucking to keep the bond alive and strong, right?"

Monte nodded. "Yes. You would. After you left, that was … discussed. It works the same way for vampires, too. Also, they require more than just a bite. They have to exchange blood."

"Great. So I'd have to become a bloodsucker too." Tommy shuddered in disgust. "Did he ask why I was so against it, or did he assume it was just the fact that he's the enemy?"

"He assumed, I guess," Monte said. "Unless he recognizes you, too. He didn't ask. I wouldn't have told him if he did, anyway. That's for you and him to discuss."

Tommy nodded, thankful for that.

Monte's phone rang, then, interrupting them. He checked it and said, "It's Aleena," just before answering.

Tommy tuned out the conversation and walked over to the bank of windows along one wall, looking out of them at the fading night sky. It would be morning soon. Adam would be going to sleep. For a brief moment Tommy allowed himself to fantasize about sneaking into Adam's room and killing him in his sleep. Of course, then Tommy would be condemning his pack—his entire species—to death, too.

After a moment, Monte walked over and stopped next to him. "Adam wants to meet with you. Alone. To talk. There will be wards in place to keep either of you from getting violent."

"Will be. So you accepted without asking me," Tommy said flatly, knowing it was his punishment for defying Monte earlier.

"Yes, I did," Monte said.

Tommy nodded, accepting the punishment. "When?"

"Tonight, just after nightfall, at Aleena and Caylan's home."

"I guess I should get some sleep, then," Tommy said, turning away from the windows and heading for the door.

Tommy paused at the door when Monte spoke. "I wish it could be some other way…."

When he trailed off, Tommy said, "So do I," before stepping out into the hall.

Tommy walked up to Aleena and Caylan's front door and braced himself before knocking. A moment later, Caylan answered, a bright, sunny smile on her face. "Come in, Tommy."

Tommy stepped through the doorway, feeling vaguely like he was slipping his neck in a noose. Not that a noose would actually kill him, but it would sure choke the shit out of him, and that was bad enough.

"Come on," Caylan said, putting an arm around Tommy's shoulders and giving him a sideways hug, "Adam and Aleena are in the lounge."

Tommy let her lead him there, even though he knew the way, having been there many times before. He was the one Monte usually sent whenever Aleena called for someone from the coalition to meet with her. They'd developed a pretty close friendship over the years.

Tommy stepped into the living room and spotted Adam standing on the other side of the room, talking quietly with Aleena. Tommy tensed and felt a growl work its way up his throat. He had to close his eyes and will himself calm in order to stop it.

Caylan gave him a squeeze before dropping her arm and stepping away.

"Tommy, hi," Aleena said.

Tommy opened his eyes and tried to offer her a smile, although he was sure he failed miserably. "Hey, Leena."

Aleena walked over and gave him a hug, then kissed the side of his face and said next to his ear, "You can do this. I believe in you."

Tommy met her eyes when she backed up and took strength from her faith in him, offering her a nod of his head in return.

Looking pleased, Aleena squeezed his shoulders, then turned to the side to look back and forth between him and Adam. "I've put the anti-violence ward in place, as promised, along with a sound dampening one as well, so whatever you say here will remain between the two of you. There is one other spell Caylan and I could place, if you would both like. It might help you talk things out."

"What kind of spell?" Adam asked.

"A truth spell," Aleena said. Tommy tensed, but before he could object, she went on, "It would not force either of you to divulge anything you don't want to, but it would ensure that whatever does pass your lips is the truth. I think, given there is no trust between you, that it might help to know you're not being deceived by the other."

Tommy looked at Adam, considering it. Adam looked as if he was doing the same. Finally, Tommy said, "I'm fine with it if he is."

"I'm okay with it too," Adam said.

Aleena nodded, looking pleased. "See? Maybe this won't be as impossible as either of you think."

Stepping off to the side, she joined hands with Caylan and together they began chanting. Tommy felt the magic weave around and through him, and then the spell was complete.

"One last thing," Aleena said, looking at Tommy. "I know what your reasons are for being against this, and even though sex is only a very minor part of it, Caylan and I researched it last night and we came to the conclusion that sex shouldn't be necessary to form the initial mating bond. It's tradition, and the sex magic helps, of course, but the bite and the blood-sharing is all that's truly needed. We don't know if the bond will be strong enough over the long run if it's not consummated, but we could give it some time and see what happens."

Tommy nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

And then they were walking out of the room, leaving Tommy and Adam alone. Together.

Not knowing what to say, Tommy turned away and walked over to a large crystal globe that was standing on one side of the room. It had all the continents etched into it. Finding Texas, he ran his fingers over his home state, longing to be back there, to have none of this happening.

"I think we actually need to speak if we're going to come to any resolution here," Adam said flatly.

Over his shoulder, Tommy threw back brattily, "So, speak."

"Oh, that's mature."

Tommy growled and turned to face Adam. "How's this for maturity? Fuck you." For some strange reason, that made Adam smirk. Tommy's forehead crinkled. "What the hell's so funny about that?"

Adam shook his head, the smirk dropping from his lips. "Nothing. I just had more or less the same discussion with my high advisor last night."

"Oh," Tommy said, not wanting to consider the fact that they might have anything in common.

Adam held up his hand and showed Tommy that the infinity brand was still there on his palm. "Has yours healed? Mine hasn't. Aleena says it won't because it was etched with magic."

Tommy reluctantly held up his hand, palm out, showing Adam he was in the same boat. Another thing they had in common. Fuck it all.

Adam stepped forward, palm still out, and Tommy felt caught in the moment, unable to move as Adam brought their hands closer and closer together. Just before they touched, though, Tommy snapped out of it and took a step back, dropping his hand. He cursed an instant after that, pissed off at himself for backing down like that, for giving Adam the impression he'd be willing to submit to him if they went ahead with this.

Dropping his hand, Adam asked, "So, what was that about with Aleena? Why is sex an issue for you?"

Deciding he could give Adam that much at least, Tommy said, "I'm straight."

Adam's eyes widened. "Wow. I didn't see that coming."

Tommy quirked an eyebrow, not offended, just curious. "Why? Because I have pink hair?"

Adam smirked. "No. Because of the fact that you're Monte's beta. I was under the impression that alpha weres asserted their dominance through fucking."

Horrified at the thought, Tommy's eyes went wide and he spat out, "Fuck no." He paused, then added, "Well, okay, in mated pairs, yes, but not in general. Monte's as straight as they come. And he's mated."

"So, werewolves are big on monogamy," Adam said, sounding curious and a little mystified.

Tommy nodded. "Vampires aren't?"

Adam shrugged. "Some of us. Most, though … not so much. Sex is considered a form of communication for my kind. We use it in all sorts of different ways. Establishing dominance, expressing hate or love or just because we're in a damn good mood. Or a shitty one. Or a bored one. Or … well, you get the idea."

Tommy shook his head. "That's just. Wow."

Adam cocked his head to the side. "So when we mate, will you expect monogamy from me, even though you don't want to have sex with me yourself?"

Tommy frowned. "What? No. Why would I? And wait. How did we jump to the forgone conclusion that we're gonna do this?"

Adam shrugged. "Why would you waste your time showing up here to talk things out if you weren't planning on going through with it?"

"Because my alpha ordered me to," Tommy said honestly, not that he could answer any other way, considering the truth spell.

Adam eyed Tommy. "Will he also order you to go through with the mating ritual?"

"I don't know," Tommy admitted. "I don't think so, but I can't say for sure. As strong as our friendship is, pack and the coalition are everything to him. I think there is little he'd put before their safety."

"Are you going to force his hand, then?"

Tommy wanted to say no, he wouldn't, but it wasn't the truth. Instead he found himself admitting, "I'm not sure I can do anything else. I don't think I can do this on my own."

"Why not?" Adam asked, and Tommy had the sudden impression by the intent glint in his blue eyes that Adam had been working around to that very question the entire time.

Tensing, Tommy said, "I have no intention of talking about _that_ with _you_."

"But it's more than just the fact that I’m a vampire," Adam said.

"Yes," Tommy admitted.

Adam stared at him for a long moment, then asked, "Does it have something to do with why your eyes look so familiar to me? I can't place them, which is strange in itself."

Tommy kept his mouth clamped shut, not liking how close to the truth Adam was skating. He was glad to know that Adam didn't remember, though. It made him feel better, having a piece of information about their past that Adam didn't possess.

"You're not going to answer that," Adam said, sounding vaguely disappointed.

"No, I'm not," Tommy replied.

"All right, then, I guess the only real question I have left is, are we going to do this or not? I'm … well, not willing exactly, but I'll do it. I have to put my subjects first, and there is the matter of my promise to the humans to always protect them."

Tommy's eyes widened in surprise. "You actually give a fuck about a promise to a human?"

"Don't you?" Adam countered sharply.

"Of course," Tommy said, "but I have honor. Vampires have none that I've ever seen."

Adam growled. "We have plenty of honor."

Tommy knew differently, but that would require him talking about _that night_ , something he had no intention of doing, so he kept silent. Plus, there was the fact that Adam couldn't lie at the moment. All that told Tommy, though, was that Adam believed what he was saying. It was too bad all vampires didn't feel that way. Things might be very different right now if they did.

Exhaling, Tommy realized that the fact that Adam felt bound to his honor helped Tommy put some of the hate he felt toward him aside. Enough that he could let the next words he said pass his lips and mean them. "I'll do it. I'll … mate with you. For the sake of my kind and the humans. But just the blood bond. No sex. And as soon as we neutralize the threat to our races, we go our separate ways."

Adam's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but he covered it quickly and nodded his head. "I will, too. For the sake of my kind and the humans. And don't worry, I don't want to be tied to you for any longer than is necessary either. As for the sex, I'm perfectly happy to take it off the table as well."

And just like that, Tommy felt the imaginary noose that had slipped around his neck upon entering the house tighten until he had a hard time breathing past it.

He was so fucked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so change of plans. One of my kids thought he was helping me out by putting the top down on my laptop when I walked away from it for a phone call last night. Unfortunately, my earbuds were sitting on top of my keyboard and yep, you guessed it, it cracked my screen. /o\ Currently I've got my laptop hooked up to my TV with an HDMI cord so I can get my stuff off it, and then I'm sending it in for repairs. (Thankfully the accidental damage insurance I bought for it hasn't expired yet. \o/) 
> 
> Anyway, this fic's up to 78k now, but I'm still not done. We have a desktop I can write on until I get my laptop back, but there are four people that already share it and I make five, so I won't be writing as fast as I have been. Because of that, I decided that instead of making all of you wait until it's finished before I post the rest, I'm going to start posting a chapter as I finish a chapter. I'm quite a few chapters ahead so I think it'll work out fine this way. Enjoy!

The month leading up to the mating was stressful, given the fact that Tommy was about to willingly bind himself to a vampire. And not just any vampire, but a vampire whose sire had killed Tommy's entire family. All the decisions involved were making Tommy's head spin to the point where he wished he could just drag Adam off somewhere and be done with it. Unfortunately it needed to take place on the full moon to have maximum effect, especially since there wouldn't be any sex magic involved.

Because of that, and because of the fact that home turf was important for Tommy's wolf to accept the bond, Adam had traveled to Texas a few days ago, leaving his brother in charge in his absence. He was staying in Houston with the master of that city, Brad something-or-other.

Tommy had met him once during another trip Adam had made to Texas a couple of weeks earlier. Adam had invited Tommy to town for dinner so that they could iron out some details and Tommy had gotten the distinct impression that Adam and Brad had been more than just friends at some point in their past. He didn't ask, though, not wanting to give Adam the impression he gave a fuck.

Because he so didn't.

And now, finally, the night was upon them. Adam was on his way, the sun having just gone down, and Tommy was pacing his room in the main cabin, feeling the familiar itch of the wolf wanting to break free and play. It wasn't necessary to shift on full moons, but most wolves did whenever possible. The moon's magic was at its height on full moon nights, and since werewolves got their strength from the moon, it was only natural the wolf inside would want out then.

"Are you ready?" Monte asked, walking into Tommy's room.

"As I'll ever be," Tommy mumbled.

"You're doing the right thing," Monte tried to reassure him. "And it's only temporary. Once the threat's been dealt with, the two of you can go your separate ways, like you agreed to. Maybe Aleena can even find some way to break the mating bond."

Tommy took a deep breath. "I know you're trying to help, but I just need some time to myself, okay?"

Monte hesitated, then nodded and left, but not before saying, "I just wanted to thank you. I know this is a huge sacrifice for you. I’m not sure I could have done it in your place."

Tommy offered him a strained smile. "Sure you would have."

Monte let it go at that and walked out, leaving Tommy with his thoughts once more.

Adam stepped out of his limousine into the clearing and looked around. He wasn't used to all this wide-open space after being confined to cities since the treaty two hundred fifty years ago. There was something disconcerting, something primal about it. And it made his fangs itch to drop, being in the presence of so many werewolves at once. It felt … unnatural. Thankfully, Tommy and Monte hadn't objected to him bringing a contingent of vampires with him to even out the numbers and make him feel like he was on equal footing.

Walking up to the house, Adam knocked. Circe opened the door with a smile. "Adam. Tommy's up in his room. Top of the stairs, second door on the left if you want to see him before the ceremony."

Adam hesitated. Did he? He was fairly sure Tommy wouldn't want to see him. Still, there was something they needed to talk about beforehand. Something they hadn't discussed when they met in Dallas a couple of weeks ago, or during one of their many phone conversations to iron out details.

Nodding his head, Adam offered her a polite thank you and stepped inside.

Knocking on Tommy's door, he waited until the pacing inside stopped and Tommy said in a resigned voice, "Come in," before entering.

Adam stopped short inside the door. Tommy's hair was back to bright pink from the cotton candy shade it had faded into over the past month. Tommy apparently figured out what his gaze was caught on and flicked it off his face.

"Circe insisted. Said I only get mated once so I should look my best."

"It looks great," Adam agreed. He watched, fascinated, as Tommy looked away, presumably with a hint of shyness.

Gaze running over Tommy's body, Adam took in the black jeans and black t-shirt, wondering if that was Tommy's idea of dressing up or if he planned on changing just before the ceremony.

"Did you want something?" Tommy asked, voice strained.

Adam stepped into the room and closed the door. "Yeah. We need to talk."

"About what?" Tommy asked warily.

"The mating ritual," Adam said, getting right to the point. "The thing is, it pretty much goes hand in hand with sex for vampires."

"But Aleena said—"

"I didn't say it had to," Adam interrupted. "But it goes together for us nonetheless, mainly because the bite is sexual in and of itself for us, whether or not actual sex is involved."

"What are you trying to say?"

"In spite of my comments when we met, you're pretty much exactly my type. I'm probably going to get … aroused," Adam said. "I just wanted to warn you beforehand so it wouldn't take you or your wolf off guard and make you feel threatened. I won't act on it. You don't have to worry on that front."

Tommy stared hard at him for a minute. "Surprisingly, I think I actually believe you. Even without the truth spell."

Adam offered him a small smile. "Maybe the beginnings of trust are forming between us?"

Tommy's expression instantly shuttered and Adam smelled anger and confusion waft off him. "Not likely."

Deciding not to argue the point, Adam said, "I'll see you at the ceremony."

"Adam," Tommy said when Adam turned to go.

Adam turned back. "Yes?"

"Circe told me that when you sink your fangs in, you can make it either hurt or feel good."

"That's true," Adam said.

Tommy's eyes hardened and his voice was sharp as he said, "Make it hurt."

"What?" Adam asked, surprised at the request.

"I don't want any of this, but I’m going to do it because it's necessary. The last thing I want, though, is anything from _you_ to feel good, so make it hurt."

Adam tensed at the vehemence in Tommy's voice and nodded curtly before leaving. If Tommy wanted pain, he'd give him pain.

Tommy stood facing Adam in the middle of a clearing about half a mile away from the cabins. Above them, the night sky was filled with stars and most importantly, the full moon. In front of them, Monte stood side by side with Neil, who had flown in for the ceremony. Aleena and Caylan had flown in too, and stood off to one side.

Vampires, from what Tommy understood, didn't need all this ceremony. They mated in the privacy of their bedrooms. Werewolves, though, needed the ceremony, even for the sexual part, which usually happened in wolf form in front of everyone. Werewolves were not known for their shyness when it came to their bodies or sex.

Tonight, though, nothing was as it normally was, not even the words Monte was saying, which had to be adjusted to fit the situation. It didn't matter anyway. It all ran together in Tommy's head, until nothing made much sense at all. That is, until the last words Monte spoke broke through loud and clear.

"You may now mate."

Tommy stared at Adam, who stared back. For a heart-stopping moment, neither of them moved. It was in that moment that Tommy saw in Adam's eyes just how much he didn't want this, either. Strangely, it helped ease the knot in Tommy's stomach.

Slowly, Adam reached out and grasped Tommy's hand in his, turning it until the inside of his wrist was exposed. Having discussed this at length over the course of the last several weeks, both Tommy and Adam had agreed to confine the bites to each other's wrists, thereby forgoing the issue of either of them giving the illusion of submitting to a bite to the neck.

Tommy swallowed as he watched Adam's fangs drop. His heart hammered in his chest as Adam's head bent to his wrist. Before Adam could bite, though, growls rose up from all sides. Tommy jerked his wrist free and turned in a circle, eyes widening as dozens of creatures covered in white fur but walking on two legs and sporting wings and long, tube-like tongues poured out of the woods and attacked.

The mutants they'd been warned about.

Monte's battle roar thundered through the clearing and Tommy added his roar to Monte's, the force of their combined roars making the ground vibrate. Without a second's hesitation, every werewolf present shifted, clothing ripping and falling from their bodies.

At the same time, the vampires all dropped their fangs, eyes turning silver as they hissed and growled. Tommy glanced over at Adam and found him staring back. With a nod of his head toward Tommy, Adam jumped into the fray.

Finding himself in the disturbing situation of fighting side by side with vampires instead of against them, Tommy joined him, jumping on the nearest creature and ripping its throat out. Tipping his head back in victory, Tommy howled at the moon and tackled the next one in his path. That one saw him coming, though, and didn't go down so easily.

Tommy quickly found himself fighting for his life. Another joined the first, ganging up on him, until Isaac came up behind the second fucker and jumped on its back. While that one was distracted, Tommy leapt at the first one and ripped out its throat, then stood on his hind legs and slashed his claws across the other's throat, killing it instantly.

All around them, vampires and werewolves fought the mutants, tearing off heads and ripping out throats, but disturbingly, almost as many of them were going down as the mutants. Before long Tommy and Monte found themselves taking up defensive stances along with the zetas in their pack, surrounding the cubs and the omegas to protect them.

Nearby, the vampires set up a similar circle, surrounding the witches, and then the fight intensified. More creatures poured out of the woods, including two who looked different. One looked more like a true aswang and the other looked more like a true wendigo than the rest.

The mated pair, Tommy realized with some trepidation, considering he and Adam hadn't had time to finish the ceremony. And then Tommy realized that had been the point. Somehow the mutants had figured out what they were up to and had come to put a stop to it.

Before Tommy could dwell on that, though, Aleena suddenly rose from inside the circle of vampires, levitating above everyone, hair and eyes black as night, fingers drawing trails of power from the vampires forming the circle as she chanted, voice booming over the sounds of battle. Some of the mutants shrank back, but others surged forward, including the mated pair. The aswang attacked Adam just as the wendigo attacked Tommy.

Tommy heard Monte snarl, but there was no time to look and see what was happening as he found himself in a fight for his life, rolling around on the ground, the wendigo tearing at him with razor sharp teeth and equally sharp claws. Tommy fought back with everything he had, snarling and biting and clawing, but even as strong and as fast as he was it wasn't enough. He was losing and he knew it.

Body weakening with blood loss and pain, Tommy tried to get at the wendigo's white furry throat, but the thing was too powerful; more powerful than any wendigo Tommy had ever come across before. Instead, it got a hold of the side of _his_ neck and Tommy felt it rip open, felt blood start to pour out of him, heard his pack's roar of outrage and then everything melted away, fading into nothing.

Adam was down on the ground, fighting off the aswang and hoping against hope Aleena gained the power she needed to beat back the army of mutants fast since he was losing the battle. The aswang was stronger than anything he'd ever come across before. Much stronger than it should have been. He knew now Aleena hadn't been exaggerating when she'd talked about the mating giving the original pair unparalleled power.

Ripped open in several places and bloody, Adam had just started to accept that he wasn't going to make it out of this with his unlife when finally, Aleena shouted a command to the sky and salt fell like rain, pelting everyone in the field. It did nothing to the vampires and werewolves present, but the mutants, including the mated pair, started to screech and writhe in pain. The stink of burning flesh and fur floated through the air and the army of mutants retreated, racing for the cover of the woods and beyond.

With a hiss, the aswang on top of Adam backed off, but not before getting in one last swipe of its claws across Adam's stomach, tearing it open. Adam screamed in agony just as a deafening howl rose up in the night from off to his right. Turning his head, Adam saw Tommy lying in the grass in wolf form, black fur matted with blood, body twisted at an unnatural angle, blood seeping from his neck. The werewolves that were still able to move were circling around him, heads tipped back as they roared their gut-rending misery to the moon. Something unexpected clenched in Adam's damaged gut and suddenly Caylan was at his side, pulling him to his feet, her own eyes and hair black like Aleena's.

In a strained voice, she said, "Go to him. Finish the mating bond. It's the only thing that will save him. The only thing that will save all of us."

Adam stumbled over and amazingly, the werewolves present let him through. That is, until Monte spotted him and jumped in his way, canines bared as he snarled, ready to attack, to protect.

One hand holding his guts inside his body, Adam held up the other hand, palm out—the palm engraved with the infinity sign—and said, "I'm not going to hurt him. I'm trying to save him. Caylan said the mating bond would do it."

Monte continued to snarl at him until amazingly, Tommy lifted his head high enough to nudge at Monte's hind leg, letting out a high pitched whine as he did. Monte looked down at him and their golden eyes locked, something unspoken passing between them. Finally, Monte backed off with a dip of his head and stood by, wolf eyes glaring at Adam, the threat clear. If Adam didn't save Tommy's life, Monte would finish Adam off.

Adam fell to his knees next to Tommy and in the next instant, Tommy shifted back to human, his naked body appearing even more mangled than his werewolf form had. His heart was barely beating and the blood pumping out of the gash in his neck had slowed to almost nothing.

Gasping, Tommy said, "Hurry. Can't hold … on."

Adam grabbed Tommy's wrist and lowered his face to it, hesitating long enough to ask, "Still want the pain?"

Tommy licked his lips, eyes locked with Adam's, and nodded once.

Adam tore into Tommy's wrist and Tommy threw back his head, howling at the moon even though he didn't shift. Adam didn't even have to fight not to get aroused. Apparently being near death with his guts spilling out of his body was enough to dampen his sexual appetite. Who knew?

He sucked several mouthfuls of Tommy's blood from him, moaning at how good nearly immortal blood tasted. He could feel it working to heal his body already, making him stronger, knitting together shredded muscle and skin.

Finally, he pulled his mouth from Tommy's wrist, licking his lips before putting his own wrist to Tommy's mouth. "Bite me and drink, wolf. Take me in and be healed."

Eyes transfixed on Adam's, Tommy's canines dropped and he sank them into Adam's wrist, ripping it open. Adam hissed at the pain, but it was barely background noise compared to his other injuries. Pulling his canines free, Tommy began sucking mouthful after mouthful of Adam's blood out of his body.

Adam watched, transfixed, as Tommy began to heal right in front of his eyes. Ripped apart flesh mended itself, color returned to Tommy's cheeks and heat to his body, which was truly amazing considering the blood Adam was giving him was cool, like him.

Finally, Tommy let go and panted, blood smeared across his lips, and Adam had all he could do not to lean down and lick it off. He shook his head at the unwanted thought, putting it down to the bond he could now feel coursing through him.

Adam fell back on his butt in the grass and watched as Tommy's pack surrounded him again, nuzzling and licking away the blood covering him, sealing the last of his wounds until with a roar Tommy shifted back to his wolf form and started nuzzling them back, rolling around and playing with each of them in turn until finally only Monte was left.

Tommy dropped his head and waited for Monte to approach him, which Monte did, sniffing at his neck before biting down, not enough to break skin, but enough to assert his dominance. Tommy dropped down to the grass, submitting fully and Adam had to fight hard to mask his lust, the sight of Tommy submitting doing things to him he didn't understand.

Sure, he preferred his bed partners to bend to his will, but he had no intention of fucking Tommy. Hell, Tommy wasn't even human right now. He was a goddamn wolf and Adam had never in his life been into bestiality. Still, he couldn't shake the _want, take, have_ thrumming through him.

Eventually Monte let go of Tommy's neck and started licking all over his face, and then Tommy and Monte were rolling around in the grass play fighting.

Finally they came up for air just as Neil reached Adam, moving slowly because of the energy Aleena had to drain from him and the others to perform the salting spell. The only one she'd refused to draw power from had been Adam, insisting he needed his energy for the fight and the mating.

"Let's get back to the cabins," Neil said. "It's not safe out here. We don't have enough energy for Aleena to draw from for a second spell, and besides, Aleena's half unconscious from the first time."

Adam nodded and pushed to his feet. Voice booming through the night air, he said, "We need to get back. I suggest we work together, with Monte's permission, and gather the wounded—vampires and werewolves alike—and make our way to the cabins. Those among us who are healthy enough can close ranks and protect the injured."

Monte stood on his hind legs and shifted back to human. Without a care for his nudity, he turned to his pack. "I'm in agreement with Adam. Help each other, and above all else, keep the witches, cubs and omegas protected."

The werewolves rumbled their agreement and set to work, some shifting back to pick up wounded, some staying in wolf form and standing guard. Adam's kind did the same and soon they were on the path back to the cabins, Monte leading the way, Adam guarding Caylan and Aleena, who was draped across Tommy's back. It was obvious that Tommy took great care to place his paws carefully, hardly jarring her at all even though she was just exhausted, not injured.

Once they reached the clearing the cabins were in, Circe, Caylan and Kaya worked quickly to put wards up around the perimeter that would alert them should anyone attack.

That done, everyone filed into various cabins. Adam and his contingent hadn't planned on spending the night, but curiously, Adam found himself reluctant to leave Tommy on his own with only werewolves for protection, even for just the day, and he knew there was no way in hell Tommy would be willing to leave right now, in spite of the fact that it had been the plan to travel to LA together right after the ceremony. Adam couldn't blame him, really.

Still caught in indecision of what to do, stay or go back to Brad's place in the city, Adam was taken off guard when Tommy walked up to him, dressed in jeans and a v-neck black t-shirt.

"I'm not leaving," he said, chin lifted defiantly, obviously expecting a fight.

Adam shook his head. "I don't expect you to. Roles reversed, I wouldn't either."

Tommy blinked, clearly taken off guard by that answer. After a moment, he gathered himself and nodded. "You're all welcome to stay the day. We'll protect you. We've got plenty of space in the basements of the cabins. The windows are small down there and can be boarded up easily enough to keep light out. There aren't beds, but we've got lots of blankets we can lay out."

"Thanks," Adam said. "I'll take you up on that. I don't like the idea of my clan traveling without me when most of them are still drained from Aleena siphoning their magic, and since I don't want to leave Aleena anyway, it's probably the best option."

Tommy nodded. "It's settled then. Monte already agreed, so I'll get the pack moving on it." He started to turn away, then turned back and said, "And thanks. For saving my life back there."

Uncomfortable with the thanks, Adam said, "My reasons were purely selfish. You need to be alive for the bond to do its job."

Tommy nodded. "I know, but still. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Adam replied, wondering if he'd ever get used to working with werewolves instead of against them. Somehow, he doubted it.


	4. Chapter 4

The next evening, Adam rose with the sunset and stretched before climbing up off the bed of blankets he'd slept on. Glancing around, he was unsurprised to find most of the other vampires still sleeping. Aleena had taken a lot from them. It would take them a while to recharge, especially without blood to help them recover.

Silently, Adam crossed the basement and headed up the stairs in search of Aleena. Looking around the living room, Adam didn't see her anywhere and frowned.

Monte walked up to him and asked, "Looking for Tommy?"

"Aleena, actually," Adam said. "I wanted to check on her."

"Tommy gave her and Caylan his room." It was easy to see Monte was barely tolerating his presence, which was something they had in common.

Donning his best diplomatic smile, Adam said, "Thanks," and headed for the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, he caught Tommy's scent coming from another room and it was as if something primal took over that he couldn't control. He veered off in that direction and opened the door as quietly as possible. What he saw had him growling in the back of his throat before he even realized it.

Tommy, back to him and spooned around Isaac, immediately tensed and lifted his head, looking back over his shoulder. He responded to Adam's growl with a growl of his own, and then there was a third sound, the sound of Isaac cursing under his breath.

"Is there any way I'm going to get out of this without any new bruises or gashes?" Isaac asked, not moving a muscle.

"If you get up and leave right now, maybe," Adam found himself saying.

Isaac started to get up, but Tommy pushed him back down with a curt, "Stay put."

Isaac obeyed and then Tommy was on his feet, shirtless, but with jeans on, and facing Adam, looking extremely pissed off. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"You're _my_ mate," Adam all but snarled. "What the fuck are you doing in bed with _him_?" He knew how insane it sounded even as he said it. They'd already agreed there would be nothing sexual between them. What did he care if Tommy found release somewhere else? "Oh, and you told me you were straight, remember?"

Tommy blinked, looking as if he couldn't figure out which part of that to address first. "Okay, for one, it's a pack thing, not a sex thing. I am straight. So is Isaac, but I gave my room away to the witches, so Isaac and Sophie—his _mate_ —let me sleep with them. Even so, sometimes we do that anyway. Sophie's an early riser, or she'd've been in the bed too. Other times I sleep with Monte and his wife, or any one of the others find their way into my bed, and hell, sometimes we all pile up in the living room in front of the fireplace and sleep together. For another thing, it's absolutely none of your fucking business even if it was a sex thing. You and I agreed we weren't going to fuck each other."

Adam sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I think this mating bond is messing with my head. I had no idea that was coming. I only came up here to check on Aleena, and then I smelled your scent and followed it, and—"

"Yeah, well, don't let it happen again," Tommy said brusquely, following up with, "Did you visit Aleena yet?"

"No."

"I'll go with you. I want to see how she’s doing." Pausing, Tommy turned back to Isaac. "Breathe. No one's going to rip you a new asshole."

Isaac chuckled and rolled over. "Am I allowed to get out of bed?"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Fucker, yes. I wasn't giving you an order anyway."

"Sure you weren't, baby," Isaac teased, eyelashes fluttering.

Adam quirked an eyebrow and smiled a little to show he was joking. "Sure you’re straight?"

Isaac smiled. "Mostly, but I'm totally gay for Tommy Joe."

Adam looked at Tommy. "Tommy Joe?"

Tommy scowled and stomped out of the room. "Don't you dare call me that. Only shithead there gets away with it."

Adam smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."

After they checked on Aleena and she assured them she was recovering and it would just take a few days to get her strength back, Tommy exited the room he'd lent her and leaned against the wall outside it, waiting for Adam to say goodbye. When Adam stepped out and closed the door, Tommy looked over at him. "So…."

"So…." Adam echoed, leaning one shoulder against the wall next to Tommy.

"It's about that time, isn't it?" Aleena had told them that they'd have to reestablish the bond daily if they weren't going to be reinforcing it with sex magic.

"Yes, but Brad's going to be here any minute with some taps to rejuvenate the clan. Normally they wouldn't need to feed for a few days yet, but she really drained them. Most of them are still sleeping, even."

"Taps?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah," Adam said. "Humans who agree to let us feed from them every few days."

"Oh," Tommy said.

They both fell silent again, until Adam blurted out, "You're powerful. Much more so than I thought you would be, looking at you. I saw you fight, though. You definitely earned your place as beta general."

Tommy straightened a little. "I get underestimated because of my human size a lot."

Adam heard several vehicles come up the drive.

Tommy must have heard them too, because he said, "I think Brad and the others are here."

Adam nodded. "After I get my clan taken care of, I'll meet you down in the basement."

"Okay," Tommy said.

As it turned out, instead of the clan feeding there, they all traveled back to town with Brad once it was discovered the creatures had fled north. Caylan, Kaya and Circe had scryed for them—able to because of the residual magic clinging to them from Aleena's spelled attack—and found they were nearly a day's journey away already and still moving rapidly. Apparently Aleena had put the fear of the gods and goddesses in them. The danger was over for now.

The only person who stayed was Adam, because of the bond that needed daily renewing. Tommy had even agreed to let him feed off him during the bond renewals so that a tap wouldn't have to stay behind.

Once everyone left, Tommy followed Adam down to the privacy of the basement.

"I can probably get you a mattress down here now," Tommy said. "There are a couple of rooms in one of the other cabins not being used currently."

"That sounds good," Adam said, stopping in the middle of the room and turning back to Tommy. "How long do you want to stay here?"

Tommy bit his bottom lip, forehead scrunching up in thought. "I know we agreed to go to LA right away, but a few days, maybe? I need time to reassure myself the threat's really over. I'm uneasy enough leaving Monte without a beta. With what happened last night…."

Adam nodded. "I get it. Who steps in when you're not around?"

"Isaac, and he's good, but … he's not as strong as me. And he's too damn nice. He lets the cubs here get away with murder."

Adam chuckled. "You don't exactly strike me as a hard-ass."

Tommy rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm not, but Isaac's like a kid himself. He'll not only let them do whatever it is, he'll join in."

The conversation dropped off and an awkward silence enveloped them. Clearing his throat, Adam said, "I suppose we should get on with this."

"Probably," Tommy said, coming closer.

Adam indicated the pile of blankets nearest them. "Might as well get comfortable."

Tommy nodded and they sat down facing each other.

Licking his lips, Tommy asked, "Last night, did the brand on your hand, like, throb when we were making the bond?"

Adam nodded. "Did yours?"

Tommy nodded. "Wonder if that was just because it was the first time, or if it'll happen every time?"

"Only one way to find out," Adam said, holding Tommy's hand in his and lowering his mouth to Tommy's wrist. He licked at the vein standing out there and asked quietly, "Still want the pain?"

"Yes," Tommy whispered back.

Adam licked again, then sank his fangs in. Tommy grunted but didn't pull away or make any other sound, just sat there and took the pain as if it was his due. Curiously, Adam wished Tommy would let him make it good, but he understood why Tommy didn't want it that way.

Adam's dick throbbed anyway as Tommy's rich, hot blood flooded his mouth. He groaned and wedged his fangs in deeper when the flow slowed after a few mouthfuls due to Tommy's advanced healing. Tommy gasped and his arm jerked in Adam's hold, but he didn't complain, just continued to let Adam feed off him.

Eventually, Adam pulled free and offered his own wrist to Tommy. Tommy stared at it for a moment, then pulled Adam's hand to him and bit down. Pulling his canines free, Tommy shifted back to blunt human teeth, sucking blood from Adam at a dizzying rate.

Adam closed his eyes and shuddered, reaching out blindly with his branded hand. Fingers laced with his and Adam's eyes shot open to find Tommy staring at him, eyes golden. While they stared at each other and Tommy continued to suck, Adam closed the distance between their palms, pressing them together. He gasped at the wave of energy that slammed through him, entering through the mark and flowing through his body to his opposite wrist, then back into Tommy and around again. Tommy must have felt it too, because he shuddered and squeezed Adam's hand tighter, a tiny moan escaping him.

Finally, Tommy let go of the wrist he'd been drinking from and sat back, panting, lips and chin smeared with blood. Adam swayed forward, transfixed by Tommy's mouth, his only thought licking off the blood. For an instant, Tommy swayed toward him, too, but then at the last second, he jerked back, pulled his hand free of Adam's, and swiped at the blood on his face with a corner of one of the blankets.

Adam sat back and shook his head, trying to dislodge the desire thrumming through him. He knew Tommy could smell it, knew he was too far gone to mask it, but didn't much care. He'd already warned Tommy it would happen.

"Fuck," Adam said brokenly.

Tommy sucked in a sharp breath and slid back, away from Adam. "You okay?"

"I will be in a moment. Shit. I really wish you were into guys."

Tommy chuckled, but the sound had a nervous edge to it. "Even if I was, I thought you didn't do 'mutts'."

Adam opened his eyes finally and fixed Tommy with a stare. "I just said that because I was angry about the situation. I told you before. You're exactly my type. If you were into it, I'd have you underneath me begging for my cock faster than you could blink."

Tommy cursed and stood, striding across the room. "I'm going out for a run."

Adam was on his feet instantly, racing to get to the stairway before Tommy. "What? No. Not by yourself."

Tommy tensed, stopping short when Adam blocked his way. "You have no say in it."

"I have every say. I'm your mate. What's more, the fate of three species depends on us staying alive. You are not going out there alone. If you don't want me to go, fine. Take someone else."

Tommy growled in frustration. "You're fucking worse than Monte, you know that?"

"I don't care," Adam said stubbornly, arms crossed over his chest.

Tommy glared at him. "If that goes for me, then it goes for you, too. No late night walks alone, agreed?"

Adam pressed his lips together before grudgingly saying, "Agreed," because really, Tommy was right, as much as that irritated him.

Tommy nodded. "Then I'll take Isaac with me." He hesitated, and added, "Unless you did want to go for a midnight walk, then I guess we could just go together. I need to run, though, so you'd have to run too, at least part of the time."

Remembering what Tommy had said about Isaac being strong, but not as strong as him, Adam made his decision. "I'll come with you, then. Just give me a minute to grab my coat."

Tommy nodded and disappeared up the steps. Adam scooped up his coat off a nearby box and shook his head as he followed after, wondering what the fuck was going on with them.

When Tommy said he needed to run, what he really meant was that he needed to fly like the wind, Adam discovered quickly, hardly able to keep up with him, which was saying something. In fact, Adam had never come across a werewolf that could run _that_ fast.

Finally, he lost sight of Tommy and had to call out, "Wait up, dammit."

Tommy circled back around and came up behind him, nudging him in the ass with his snout. Adam whipped around and glared. "You little shit. Trying to tell me I'm slow?"

Tommy made a strange sort of chortling sound that Adam guessed would have been a laugh if he was in human form. Baring his teeth, Tommy playfully nipped at the air in front of Adam's groin.

Adam jumped back. "You run a lot faster than me. I can't keep up with that pace."

Tommy huffed and made a show of walking alongside Adam at a slow pace.

Adam rolled his eyes. "You're obnoxious in wolf form, you know that?" A couple of minutes later, Adam said, "It's really hard to talk to you when you can't talk back. I'll give you my coat to cover up with if you shift back for a while."

Tommy stopped and looked up at him, head tipped to the side a little, and then he shimmied and twisted and straightened, black fur disappearing as he shifted back to human form. Before handing him the coat, Adam couldn't resist a quick glance at his body now that Tommy wasn't bloody and nearly shredded into pieces. When he looked up at Tommy's face again, it was to find Tommy blushing and smirking at the same time.

"Done getting your perv on?"

Adam laughed and winked. "Not nearly, no."

Tommy's eyes widened and he shrugged into the coat hurriedly, then fell into step beside Adam.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"What we're going to do if those … things attack again, for one. Aleena can't do that spell on a regular basis, and even if she could, she can't be anywhere on earth at the drop of the hat."

"Yeah," Tommy agreed. "Caylan told me it was dangerous for her to do once, let alone repeat it." He paused, then added with a grin, "It was pretty wicked, though, wasn't it? Those fuckers started sizzling like hot oil was raining down on them."

Adam smirked. "That was pretty amazing. I'm just glad she's on our side. I'd hate to go up against her. Ever."

Tommy snorted. "Tell me about it."

They fell silent, picking their way through the forest as they considered the problem. Eventually Adam asked, "Does this feel as weird to you as it does to me?"

"What?" Tommy said, "The fact that we've been sworn enemies for thousands of years but now we're stuck having to fight side by side to survive? Nah. Same shit, different day."

Adam chuckled a little. "Yeah. That. And the fact that the mating bond worked. As much as I trust Aleena, I still worried she was wrong on this and we'd both be dead from the effects by now."

Tommy nodded. "Me too. Like, I knew she believed in what she was saying, but she's gotta be wrong once in a while, right?"

"Just glad it wasn't this time," Adam said.

"You and me both," Tommy agreed.

Adam glanced over at Tommy, debating whether to ask him the question that had been on his mind ever since their first meeting and the subsequent one at Aleena and Caylan's house. Tommy wouldn't answer then, but he seemed more comfortable with Adam now, so maybe he would if asked again.

"What?" Tommy asked after a minute. "I can smell your curiosity. Whatever it is, just ask."

"And you'll answer?" Adam asked.

"I didn't say that."

Adam sighed. "Fair enough. It's a question I asked you in London but you didn't want to answer. I'm hoping you will now."

Tommy tensed, but remained silent, stepping carefully through the forest in bare feet.

"Why did you react so strongly when you looked at me that first time?"

Tommy's jaw tensed and Adam could tell there was an inner battle going on in his head. Finally, he glanced up at the moon. "It's getting late. We should get back."

Adam grabbed his arm and pulled him around, stopping the both of them. "I don't even get a response of any kind this time? Not even a fuck off?"

Tommy glared at him and yanked his arm free. Fire in his eyes, Tommy shrugged out of Adam's coat and tossed it at him, saying icily, "Fuck off," before shifting back into a wolf and taking off.

Adam cursed, shrugged back into his coat and took off after Tommy, hoping he'd be able to at least keep him within hearing distance the rest of the way back to the cabin if not in his line of sight.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean to take so long between updates. I was hopelessly stuck on a chapter I was writing and finally had to scrap it all together and start from scratch from a different angle. Thankfully, that worked and I finished it this morning, and since I'm posting a chapter every time I finish writing one, here you go. :)

Three days after the ambushed ceremony, Tommy agreed to leave, even though he still felt uneasy about it. Monte insisted more than once, though, that everything was fine and he should go so Adam could take care of things in LA. It was obvious Adam was getting antsy, too, and Tommy couldn't blame him, really. He'd been away for a while, no matter that Neil had been there most of the time taking care of things.

Tommy stared out the window the whole plane trip to L.A., watching the bits of country slide by, knowing somewhere out there, the enemy was lying in wait, regrouping and making plans for another attack. He could only hope that they knew he and Adam were no longer in Texas and therefore wouldn't attack his pack again.

"They'll be okay," Adam said. "Those mutants were after us, trying to stop the mating bond. They failed, so it'll be a while before they come up with a new plan. Plus, we're not even there anymore. If their intel was good enough for them to know what was happening, and when and where, they'll know we've moved on. Chances are, wherever _we_ are will be where the danger of attack is."

Tommy finally looked away from the window and nodded. "Yeah, I know. That's just what I was thinking, too. Maybe we'll be safer in the city. Less places to hide a horde of mutants and more people to notice them trying to."

"True, unless they decide to go a different route and send in assassins," Adam said. Tommy tensed and Adam added, "That's always a threat for me, though, so we already have protocols in place to protect against it."

Tommy frowned. "You thought the coalition would send one in after you?"

Adam shook his head. "You can't mask your scent and neither could any human you might have tried to hire. That wasn't a worry. Vampires, though, that's a different matter."

Tommy's eyes widened in surprise. "You have to worry about assassins from within?"

Adam shrugged. "We're duplicitous by nature. Loyalty and bloodlines overshadow it for most of us, but some … not so much. There are many that have designs on the throne. It'd be foolish for me to trust that their loyalty would keep them from trying to take it for themselves."

"Wow," Tommy said. "I can't imagine living like that. Pack is everything. It's rare that one of us would step outside that to cause someone harm just to advance ourselves."

"But your alphas and betas fight for dominance all the time," Adam said. "Or is my intel on that faulty, too?"

Tommy nodded. "We do, but that's just pack dynamics. It helps the ones in charge as much as it helps the pack. The alpha and beta stay fighting fit and the rest of the pack gets reassurance that they're strong enough and skilled enough to lead."

It was apparent Adam hadn't thought of it that way before. Tommy cocked his head to the side a little. "You what? Thought we were just a bunch of mindless animals with a hard-on for violence?"

Adam glanced away, fidgeting a little, and Tommy chuckled. "That's fair, I guess. We've been operating under the impression that you're all just blood-thirsty parasites with no true feelings to speak of."

Adam glanced over at him and smiled a little. "I guess we were both wrong."

Tommy smirked. "Well, you were at least. I'm still making up my mind."

Adam laughed. "Let me know when you figure out how wrong you were, then."

When they landed in L.A., there was a limo there to meet them. Tommy quirked an eyebrow as he climbed in and looked around, taking everything in. He'd known theoretically that Adam would be rich, being king of a materialistic species and all, but seeing signs of it up close was something else. And this was just his mode of transportation.

"You're acting like you've never been in a limo before," Adam joked.

"Probably because I haven't," Tommy said matter-of-factly.

Adam's eyes widened. "Being the beta general of the coalition, I would've thought you were pretty well off."

Tommy shook his head. "You've seen where I live. I have a small room in a shared cabin. Hell, even Monte doesn't have his own cabin. Money and wealth aren't that important to us."

Adam's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "I just assumed you had another place somewhere else."

Tommy frowned. "Why would I need another place?"

The confusion on Adam's face would have been comical if Tommy hadn't been just as confused.

"Why? Maybe so you have someplace to yourself, something that's all yours, where you can get away from everyone."

Tommy shrugged. "If I really need time to myself, I just go for a run. I've got miles and miles of open land to myself whenever I want it. I don't need a separate house."

"Huh," Adam said, looking mystified.

"I take it you have your own place?" Tommy asked.

"Several, actually," Adam responded. "In different cities. I just consider L.A. my home base."

Before Tommy could find a way to respond to that bit of mind-boggling information, they pulled up in front of what could only be described as a mansion. Tommy climbed out and stared at it, speechless.

"Well?" Adam asked, stepping up beside him. "What do you think?"

Slowly, Tommy shook his head. "This is all yours?"

"Yes," Adam said, then amended, "Well, ours now, I suppose. Neil lives here, too. He has his own wing, though."

"Am I going to have my own wing?" Tommy asked jokingly, still not knowing quite what to think.

"Once you meet with my decorator and tell her how you want it furnished, yes. Until then, there are plenty of rooms down my wing you can choose from."

Tommy turned to stare at Adam. "I was joking. I so don't need my own wing. I wouldn't even know what to do with all that space."

Adam just shook his head and chuckled. "I wasn't. It's yours if you want it."

Adam led the way up the steps and in the front door. A few second later, Neil came around the corner and walked up to Adam, pulling him into a hug. "Welcome home, brother."

Tommy watched, noticing several physical similarities between the two men now that he had a chance to just look while he waited for them to finish greeting each other hello. He wondered if there was a genetic link between the two or if their sire just had a type.

Once they pulled out of the hug, Neil looked at Tommy and tipped his head to the side a little. "Are we at the hugging stage yet?"

Tommy recognized the joke for what it was and quirked his lips up at the corners. "I don't think so, no."

Neil returned the smile. "Okay. Let me know when that changes."

Adam rolled his eyes and said to Tommy, "Come on. I'll show you around."

After getting the grand tour, Adam led Tommy to a hallway they hadn't been down yet. "And this is my—our—wing."

Tommy nodded and followed Adam down the hall, nodding dutifully at every room Adam showed him, until eventually they ended up in a room with all kinds of instruments.

"And this is the music room. I noticed a guitar leaning against one wall in your room at the cabin. Feel free to come in here whenever you want and play anything you want."

Tommy looked around in awe. There were several electric and acoustic guitars, a baby grand piano, a drum set, keyboards, and that was just the main instruments. There were lots of other instruments, too, some Tommy didn't even know the name of.

"You have a whole room just for music? Why?"

"The acoustics are great in here, and I love music. If I hadn't been sired into royalty, I'm pretty sure I would've been a singer."

"Wow," Tommy said, wandering around the room, running his fingers over a couple of the acoustic guitars hanging on one wall. "Do you play anything?"

"I've tried the guitar, and I dabble at the piano, but not really. I don't have enough patience to learn. Neil loves piano, though. He's really good."

"Why have all these other instruments, then?" Tommy asked, still mystified.

"I have friends who play, so when they visit, we get together in here and just jam for hours."

"This is so sick," Tommy said, head spinning.

Adam grinned. "Does that mean you'll be in here a lot?"

Tommy nodded, not even trying to pretend he wasn't excited by the prospect. "I'm pretty sure I just found my favorite room in the place."

"You haven't seen your room yet, though," Adam teased.

Tommy snorted. "It'd have to have, like, a king-sized water bed and a fucking jacuzzi to even come close."

Three minutes later, Tommy was standing in the middle of his new bedroom with a perfect line of sight into the en-suite bathroom and the jacuzzi tub lying within. Looking back at the bed, which was king-sized _and_ a water bed, Tommy shook his head in disbelief.

"Dude. I was joking. How did you even manage this?"

Adam laughed. "I had it furnished this way for Brad, actually. He stays here when he comes to visit. He loves waterbeds and Jacuzzis, too. I had another room set aside for you down the hall, a little ways from mine so you could have more privacy, but if you want this one instead, it's yours. It is right next to mine, though, just so you know."

"Would it bother you if I was that close?" Tommy asked, knowing already it wouldn't bother him. He was used to close quarters. In fact, he was already feeling a little lost with so much empty space all around him. Being down at the end of the hall with no one around wasn't exactly all that appealing.

"Doesn't bother me in the least," Adam said.

He sounded sincere enough, smelled it, too, so Tommy nodded his head. "I'll take it, then."

"Good," Adam said, leading the way out and to the final door down the hall. "And this is my room."

Adam opened it with a flourish and Tommy stepped inside, blinking at how large it was. It was easily bigger than most of the cabins his pack lived in. And the _bed_. The frame was made of ornate wood and wrought iron and it had to have been custom fucking made because it was definitely bigger than a king.

"Holy shit. You must have _hated_ the basement at the cabin," Tommy blurted.

Adam chuckled. "It was … interesting, roughing it for a few days."

Tommy laughed. "I can imagine."

Spotting a set of bay windows along one wall, Tommy walked over and stared out at the immaculately manicured gardens, several varieties of night-blooming flowers glowing in the lamplight along multiple winding paths. There was maybe a hundred yards of land between Adam's mansion and the next one. Tommy's stomach sank a little.

Stopping just behind him, Adam said, "Unfortunately, there isn't much land for you to run on."

Tommy shook his head. "No problem. Sasha's pack isn't far out of town. I'll just go see her and Ashley when I need space to run."

Sasha, a good friend of his since they were cubs, was the alpha of the California pack and Ashley—Tommy's ex, whom he was still friends with—was her beta and mate.

"Okay," Adam said easily. "The limo's yours when it's here, and if it isn't, there are several other cars in the garage to choose from. The keys for all of them are hanging just inside the door."

"Thanks," Tommy said, meaning it.

He'd assumed he was going to have to bug Sasha or Ashley for a ride, but it seemed as if Adam was taking the ‘what's mine is yours’ and vice versa approach to things, even though the circumstances of their mating bond weren't exactly typical.

"It's about that time again," Adam said quietly, still right behind him.

Tommy turned and found himself staring up into Adam's blue eyes. For a moment neither of them moved and Tommy started to wonder if Adam expected him to just bare his wrist right there, but then Adam stepped away and walked over to his bed, sitting down on the edge of it. Tommy hesitated, but decided he was being ridiculous and walked over to join him. Sitting with one leg on the floor and the other bent in front of him so he could face Adam, Tommy held out his wrist.

When Adam grabbed his hand and used it to pull his wrist closer, Tommy licked his lips and asked, "Think this'll ever get less awkward?"

Adam dropped his fangs, blue eyes bleeding to silver. "Maybe." He licked at the inside of Tommy's wrist, sending a shiver through Tommy that he didn't want to examine too closely. "Eventually," Adam added, then licked again.

Tommy bit his bottom lip, a little horrified to realize he was holding back a moan. He had the sudden urge to ask Adam to make it good this time instead of painful. But then Adam was asking, like he did every time, and Tommy found himself saying, "Pain," instead of what he wanted to say.

"As you wish," Adam mumbled an instant before he sliced into Tommy's wrist.

Tommy grunted and clenched his fist as pain seared through him, starting at his wrist and branching up his arm. He squeezed his eyes shut against it and when Adam pried his closing wound back open with his fangs, sending more pain sliding through him, Tommy bit the inside of his cheek hard to keep from crying out. He tasted blood and cursed silently.

Finally it was over and Tommy sat back, holding his throbbing wrist to his chest as he panted for air. He opened his eyes and found Adam staring hard at him, eyes still silver, fangs still prominent.

"What?"

"You're bleeding."

"No shit, Sherlock," Tommy said, harsher than he’d intended.

"From somewhere besides your wrist," Adam clarified.

Tommy's eyes widened. "You can differentiate?"

Adam nodded and reached out toward Tommy's mouth. "It smells like it's coming from your mouth, but I don't see any…."

Tommy batted his hand away before Adam touched his lips. "I bit the inside of my cheek. It'll heal in a minute."

Adam shook his head and sliced into his own wrist, then offered it to Tommy. Tommy latched on, welcoming the coppery taste of Adam's blood as it filled his mouth. He was finding that more and more he enjoyed the flavor and put it down to the bond between them.

Just as they had been doing ever since that first day in the cabin basement, they sought out each other's branded hands and linked their fingers, pressing their imprinted palms together, completing the circle of energy flowing between them. And just as Tommy had been doing ever since that first day, he tried desperately to hold back a moan, even though he knew Adam had to be able to smell the pleasure it was giving him.

While Tommy was sucking and they were holding hands, Adam said in a rough voice, "Wish you would just let me make it good. It's not a crime to enjoy a vampire’s bite, you know.”

Tommy tried to glare at Adam for talking about it when he couldn't respond, but the energy flowing through him felt too good and instead he just ended up caught in Adam's silver gaze.

Adam leaned closer. "I'd make it so good. You'd never want me to stop."

Tommy did moan then, even as he tried to lean away. All he managed to do, though, was end up on his back, Adam's wrist pressed to his mouth, Adam's other hand trapping Tommy's branded one against the bed as Adam leaned over him.

Gaze intent, Adam said, "It wouldn't have to lead anywhere you didn't want it to go. We could just leave it at the bite. I'll bet, though, that you'd get off on it. I know I would. Is that why? Is it because you're afraid you'll like it too much?"

Finally Tommy released Adam's wrist and panted, mouth open and eyes sliding shut as he tried to escape Adam's knowing gaze. He yanked on his branded hand, but Adam held on tight, not letting him go. The symbol etched there continued to pulse and throb in the best possible way. Tommy felt himself getting hard and he thrust his hips up against air, whimpering for what, he didn't know. And then Adam dropped down on top of him and suddenly there was a body pressing him into the mattress, a hard-on pressed against his and holy fuck, Tommy so wasn't ready for it.

He growled in warning and shoved hard against Adam's shoulder. Thankfully, Adam took the hint and rolled to the side, letting go of Tommy's hand at the same time.

Tommy scrambled up from the bed and glared down at him, fists clenched. "What the fuck was that?"

Adam groaned and rolled onto his stomach, burying his head in the crook of one arm for a long moment. Slowly the pheromones pouring off him dissipated. Adam rolled back over and sat up, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Damn straight, you shouldn't have. We agreed."

"We did. It won't happen again."

Tommy turned away, trying to get his lust under control. When it didn't work, he turned back and accused, "Did you thrall me?"

Adam looked taken aback. "What? No. I couldn't even if I wanted to. That only works on non-magical beings."

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it?" Tommy asked, disturbed by his body's reaction to Adam, especially if it wasn't because of a thrall.

"Have you ever heard of one of us thralling one of you?" Adam countered, climbing off the bed.

Tommy swallowed. "No, but...."

"No buts," Adam said, taking a step toward Tommy. "I didn't thrall you."

Not liking the fact that he was losing the only good reason he could think of for why he'd gotten turned on by not only a guy when that had never happened before, but by a vampire whose sire had killed his family, Tommy narrowed his eyes. "Prove it."

Adam blinked. "What?"

Tommy tipped his chin up defiantly. "Prove you didn't thrall me."

Adam's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "Prove it? How do I prove it?"

Tommy cursed himself silently, but it was like watching a train wreck. He couldn't seem to stop the stream of stupidity coming out of his mouth. "By trying to thrall me."

Adam's mouth opened and closed several times, and then his blue eyes bled into silver once again and Tommy had all of two seconds to think _Oh shit_ , before Adam was on him, arm around his waist, backing Tommy up with inhuman speed until Tommy's back hit a nearby wall. Trapped as he was, Tommy was mildly shocked to find his wolf didn't object.

Leaning in so their eyes were level and their mouths were inches apart, Adam stared intently at Tommy. "If it were possible to thrall you, you'd never know it. I'd make sure you believed with all your being that what you were feeling, what you wanted," Adam paused and ran a hand up Tommy's side, from his thigh to his waist to his chest, then to his throat, where he stopped, gripping tight but not choking, "what your body wanted, was something you wanted from me always. You'd never even think to question whether or not you were thralled."

Tommy licked his lips, gaze dropping to Adam's. He didn't understand what was going on between them. He didn't understand why he had these urges. He thought maybe it was the bond, but then again, it didn't feel like the bond. Or at least, it didn't feel like _just_ the bond.

Swallowing hard, Tommy forced himself to speak, even though what he really wanted to do was kiss the fuck out of Adam. "Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me."

Adam's leer was conceited as fuck. "You don't really want that. I can smell it."

"I don't give a fuck what you think you smell," Tommy said, voice low and dangerous. "If you don't let go of me right now, I'm going to rip you apart. Fuck the bond and fuck the damn prophecy."

Adam stared him down for another full minute, then leaned in the last few inches and licked at the blood still on Tommy's lips before backing up and dropping his hands. Tommy's lips tingled where Adam had licked, and for a moment he didn't move, watching Adam warily for any signs of a trap. His wolf was finally getting into the spirit of it, urging him to let it out, and Tommy had half a mind to do just that.

Adam seemed to understand the struggle Tommy was fighting and backed off even further, moving to stand across the room, palms out in a sign of nonaggression.

In a calm voice, Adam said, "You asked me to prove it. I was just proving it. I wouldn't have forced you into anything. Scent me and you'll know I'm telling the truth."

Tommy did just that, mildly placated by the honesty coming off Adam in waves. Finally he stepped away from the wall and, keeping his eyes on Adam, crossed to the door. He couldn't get out of that room and away from Adam fast enough.

Seconds later, he closed himself in his room and leaned back against the door. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and then another and another. Finally he had calmed down enough to call Sasha without tipping her off that anything was bothering him.

"Tommy!" Sasha said brightly when she answered the phone. "Are you in L.A. yet?"

"Yeah, got here not that long ago," Tommy said, crossing to his bathroom. He glanced in the mirror, saw the blood smeared everywhere on his face and grabbed a washcloth. Wetting it down, he wiped at the mess. "Is there room for me to come spend the night out there?"

"Sure, babe. You might have to share, but we'll find space for you."

"Thanks, Sasha. I'm on my way."

Tommy finished cleaning off his face, then started down the hall toward the door that led to the garage, wondering if he should let Adam know where he was going. After a brief second of thought, he decided, fuck it. Adam had probably heard his conversation with Sasha anyway, and if not, too fucking bad. Adam wasn't his keeper, and it wasn't any of Adam's business where he spent his nights or days as long as he came back in time to renew the bond.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this last week, but got busy with RL stuff and totally forgot. *headdesk*

Tommy ran and ran, relishing the wind that licked at his fur and kissed his face. He soaked up power from the waning moon and drank from a stream that trickled down cold and clear from the nearby mountain system. And when it was nearly dawn, he finally made his way back to the clearing where Sasha's pack's cabins were located.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when he shifted back to human. Grabbing his clothes off the ground where he'd left them near the edge of the forest, he pulled them on and made his way to the main cabin where he was staying with Sasha, Ashley and a few others. Stomach sinking, he slowed when he saw Ashley out on the deck, sitting on a porch swing and nursing a cup of coffee. Anger and worry were rolling off her in waves.

Eventually he ran out of yard between his feet and the deck. Feeling like he was walking the plank, he climbed the steps, offering her a smile and a greeting and hoping she'd just leave it at that.

"Sit down," Ashley said.

Tommy cursed silently. He should've known better.

Sitting with a sigh, he said, "Lay it on me."

"Adam called. He's…. Angry doesn't even really cover it."

Tommy scowled. "He's got nothing to be angry about. I'll be back in time tonight to renew the bond."

"Did you tell him that?" Ashley asked. Tommy pressed his lips together and Ashley shook her head. "I'll take that as a no."

"What did you tell him?" Tommy asked wearily.

"I told him that you weren't the kind of person to run from your responsibilities and that you'd be back in time."

"Thanks," Tommy mumbled.

"And then he told me about how dangerous it was for you to be out on your own since you both agreed the threat of attack was wherever either of you are. And so I told him you were out being an idiot by yourself but I'd make sure to rip you a new one when you got back."

Tommy slumped in the porch swing. "So this is you ripping me a new one?"

"I haven't even started," Ashley said.

"That's what I thought. I don't suppose it would do any good to pull rank on you, would it?"

Ashley just snorted.

For a few minutes, they sat there in silence until eventually Ashley asked, "What's going on?"

Tommy rubbed a hand over his face. "You mean beside the fact that I'm mated—fucking _mated_ , Ash—to a goddamn _vampire_?"

"Yeah, besides that," Ashley deadpanned.

Tommy pushed off the porch swing and walked over to the deck railing. Leaning his forearms on it, he watched in silence as the sun climbed its way into the sky. Eventually Ashley walked over and mirrored his stance, watching with him.

"His sire is the one who killed my family," Tommy said quietly.

"Fuck," Ashley said. "That means…."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah."

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Maybe you should—"

"Fuck no," Tommy said, shoving off the railing to pace the length of the deck. "Are you crazy? This whole thing is difficult enough without that between us."

"But it's between you now. He just doesn't know it is," Ashley reasoned.

Tommy growled. This was why he'd been dreading the talk with her. Not because she was going to ream him out, but because she was so annoyingly insightful all the damn time.

"I shouldn't have come here," Tommy said, stopping in the middle of the deck.

"Yes, you should have," Ashley argued.

Tommy shook his head. "No, not because of what you're saying. You're right about that. I meant that I shouldn't have come because of what Adam said. I wasn't thinking. I'm putting all of you in danger by being here."

"We can protect ourselves," Ashley said stubbornly.

Again Tommy shook his head. "You didn't see them, Ash. They're big and they're strong and the pureblood I fought nearly killed me. I would've died without Adam. He crawled over, guts hanging out of him, and fed me his blood. As much as I hate to say it, he saved my life. And I think…" Tommy paused and took a deep breath, then continued, "I think if the vampires and the witches—especially Aleena—hadn't been there, we would've lost. They would have decimated our pack. We're the dominant pack, Ash. If we can't hold our own, you guys don't stand a chance."

Ashley pressed her lips together. Tommy understood. No one liked hearing they weren't strong enough to defend themselves, but it had to be said. He couldn't come back. Like it or not, he and Adam needed each other and needed to stay together. And for fuck's sake, wherever they stayed needed to be protected by an army that was larger in number than the typical pack. Adam had those numbers in L.A.

"I can't talk you out of leaving, can I?" Ashley asked, sounding resigned.

Tommy shook his head.

"At least come in and have breakfast. Sasha won't forgive you if she doesn't get to see you off."

Tommy looked warily out over the field to the tree line. He shouldn't, but breakfast sounded really good after the long run he'd had last night. Some time with Sasha and with pack, even if it wasn't his pack, sounded even better.

"Breakfast, but that's it. I leave right after."

Ashley smiled and walked over, wrapping an arm around Tommy's waist. "Come on. Smells like they've already started it."

Tommy draped an arm over her shoulders and let her lead him in, heart aching for what he'd be leaving behind when he headed back to L.A.

Tommy stepped into the mansion and closed the door behind him as quietly as possible. Even though it was only mid-morning, the interior was pitch black. Adam had shown him the night before how the windows had been specially fitted with blackout boards that slid down over them, cutting off every single stray ray of light.

Thankful for his night vision, Tommy tiptoed through the eerily quiet place, trying not to disturb Adam or Neil's sleep. He headed for his bedroom, but just before he got there, the door to Adam's room opened and closed and suddenly he was face to face with one pissed off vampire.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Adam asked, getting straight to the point.

"I wasn't," Tommy mumbled, sidestepping Adam to get to his own room.

"What does that even mean?" Adam asked, following him.

Tommy waved him off. "Nothing. I thought you guys had to sleep through the day or some shit. Like, your bodies shut down."

"Only fledglings," Adam scoffed. "Master vampires aren't slaves to the night."

"Oh," Tommy said, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and dropping it onto his dresser. Turning to Adam, Tommy sighed. "Look. I've had a really long night. Could we maybe hash this out later?"

"No," Adam said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Sasha and Ashley both already read me the riot act for going out on my own and for not giving you the heads up before leaving here. I fucked up. It won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't," Adam said heatedly, "because I'm gonna get you a fucking leash."

Seeing red, Tommy partially shifted, fingers morphing into claws as his canines dropped. He growled and said through a mouthful of deadly points, "Try it, vampire."

Adam's eyes flashed silver and his fangs dropped. He shot across the room, stopping inches from Tommy, and hissed, "Don't tempt me, wolf."

Not backing down an inch, Tommy bared his teeth and snarled, ready to attack.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Neil said, appearing in the doorway. "Some of us are trying to get our beauty rest, you know."

"Stay out of this, Neil," Adam warned. "It's between me and my mate."

"Yeah," Neil drawled. "Got that. And quite frankly, after listening to you bitch and worry all night about whether or not you should have gone after him and made sure he was safe, I could care less if you two rip each other apart. Just do it quietly, for fuck's sake."

Neil disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the two of them alone. They glared at each other for a long moment before Tommy took the first step and shifted back to human form. Adam followed suit and Tommy eyed him warily.

"You were worried about me?"

Adam scowled. "My brother has a big mouth."

Adam's brother was a smart dude, Tommy acknowledged. He'd bypassed the ancient vampire law Adam had told Tommy about, forbidding interference in matters between mated pairs, and let Tommy know about Adam's concern by disguising it as a complaint.

Tommy wanted to ask why Adam was worried. With the way Adam was acting, Tommy suspected it was about more than just the fact that if Tommy died, it would be disastrous for everyone. It almost seemed … personal.

Instead, Tommy said, "Sorry. It was a stupid thing to do."

Adam nodded. "It was." Before Tommy could get his hackles back up, though, Adam added, "I'm sorry too. About the leash thing. That was a stupid thing to say."

Tommy huffed and turned away, crossing to a sculpture on one side of the room that hadn't been there before. He ran his fingers over it, mystified by its existence in a vampire household. The sculpture was made up of a pile of wolves, clearly cuddling, projecting the very essence of _pack_.

"Where did this come from?"

Adam walked over and stood next to Tommy. "I arranged for some things to be brought in to make you feel more at home when we're here. It was in the other room I expected you to want, so after you chose this room instead, I had it moved here. I'll have the rest moved in tonight."

"Thanks," Tommy said, touched. Before he could talk himself out of it, he looked over at Adam and admitted, "It wasn't just because of what happened yesterday that I … took off."

"It wasn't?" Adam asked quietly, seeming to understand that Tommy was opening up to him and was skittish about it.

Tommy shook his head, looking back down at the sculpture, chest tight. "I miss them already. I've been away less than twenty-four hours and I already miss my pack. I've never been without at least a few pack members before. Even when Monte sends me to London to meet with Aleena, I bring at least half a dozen others with me."

Tommy tensed briefly when he felt Adam's hand cover his shoulder and squeeze, but then relaxed, accepting the comfort for what it was.

"I guess I didn't realize how hard this would be on you. Vampires are more solitary. We like our space."

Tommy snorted. "I noticed. I don't understand how you can deal with all this space. It's … overwhelming."

"I guess…." Adam trailed off and Tommy looked over, waiting while Adam gathered his thoughts. "I mean, I knew pack was important, but I guess I thought the fact that we're mated would be enough for you while you're here."

Tommy shrugged, thinking of the occasions when Monte would leave Tommy in charge and go off with Lisa for a few days, just the two of them, usually around the anniversary of their mating bond.

"It probably would be, at least for a while, if it was a traditional mating bond, but even though we've done the minimum to establish it, there's a lot missing."

Adam was silent for a moment, then said, "Maybe you could invite some of your pack here, then. Have them come stay with you until we go back."

Tommy shook his head. "I've already left Monte without a beta. I won't leave him even more vulnerable by taking more of his strength away."

The hand still on Tommy's shoulder slid up to cup the side of his face and Tommy pressed into it instinctively, the contact settling something inside him. Closing his eyes, he turned and nuzzled into the cool hand and inhaled, then jerked back, startled back to reality by the unmistakable scent of vampire.

Adam dropped his hand and opened his mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it and clamped his mouth shut. He glanced at the door and said instead, "Now that you're here and safe, I'm going to retire for the rest of the day. There's food in the refrigerator if you're hungry. I had things brought in based on what I've seen you eat over the last few days, so make sure to write up a list if anything's missing and I'll send someone out again tonight."

"Thanks," Tommy said.

Adam reached out and curled a finger under Tommy's chin, tipping Tommy's head back so their eyes could meet.

Expression serious, Adam said, "I'd never try to put you on a leash."

Tommy didn't respond other than to stare back into Adam's eyes, caught in his gaze.

And then Adam smirked and leaned close to his ear, saying in a low voice, "At least, not unless you asked nicely."

Tommy's sucked in a sharp breath and then Adam was gone, sailing out of the room with vampiric speed, leaving Tommy standing alone and disturbingly turned on.

What. The. _Fuck_.


End file.
